Russian President Vladimir Putin has reportedly recently undergone surgery to remove fluid from his abdomen amid growing speculation that his health is deteriorating, writes an anti-Kremlin account in the Telegram.

Putin underwent surgery Thursday night, which lasted until Friday morning, according to the Telegram channel "

", which is allegedly run by a former Russian spy.

The channel further claims that the Russian leader's operation and subsequent recovery were covered the next day using "deepfake" technology to simulate the presence in the videos of a scheduled meeting of the Russian Security Council, reports

.

The channel claimed last week that the Russian president had pre-recorded the footage in an attempt to cover future operations and was planning to use body doubles if necessary.

In April, the Russian investigative newspaper The Project reported that Putin had been regularly visited by an oncologist and speculated that the leader was suffering from thyroid cancer.

The report also included a list of other ailments Russia faced, from hockey injuries to back pain from a horse incident.

According to the report, Putin is said to be bathed in blood extracted from deer antlers, which have been cut while growing and are of fresh blood.

Disgusting horny baths are an alternative therapy in Russia's Altai Krai, which borders Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

Believers say that baths improve the cardiovascular system and rejuvenate the skin.

Speculation about the leader's health has continued as he is seen keeping his distance from his subordinates or acting strangely during public appearances.