Russian President Vladimir Putin has been the subject of speculation regarding his health after he was reported to have fallen down the stairs and soiled himself. An anti-Kremlin Telegram channel claimed that the incident occurred at Putin's Moscow official residence on Wednesday evening. The channel, which purports to be run by a former Russian spy, said that Putin fell down five stairs before landing on his tailbone and involuntarily defecating.

The channel claimed that this was due to cancer affecting Putin's stomach and bowels. This is the latest in a series of health scares for Putin, who is rumoured to be suffering from worsening cancer and Parkinson's disease. Despite the fall, Putin appeared to shake off the injury and was pictured touring a lab in Moscow less than one day later.

Why rumours about Putin's health generate so much concern?

Rumours about Putin's health receive so much more attention, compared to the ones about say Joe Biden's health because the Russian polity is reliant on a single person i.e. Putin, that risks to Putin's health will have far more grave consequences. In other words, Putin is far more important for Russia than any American President has been for America because the US relies on a system of checks and balances, devised by the American founding fathers. The idea originally belonged to a French political philosopher named Montesquieu. 

Russia has long been a country that is heavily dependent on a single individual, and this dependence is particularly evident in the case of President Vladimir Putin. This dependence on a single leader can be seen as a manifestation of the concentration of political power in Russia, and it has significant implications for the country's political system and its ability to respond to challenges and changes. A model that can be used to understand Russia's dependence on a single leader is the charismatic leadership model. This model posits that leaders in certain political systems are able to gain the support and loyalty of their followers through the use of personal charisma and the ability to inspire and motivate others.

In the case of Putin, his personal charisma and strong leadership style have allowed him to gain the support of many Russians, and this has enabled him to maintain his grip on power. When a country is heavily dependent on a single leader, it can become vulnerable to changes in that leader's personal characteristics. For example, if the leader becomes ill or dies, the country may be unable to continue functioning without them.