Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has denied rumors that Kremlin boss Vladimir Putin has fallen ill. “I don’t think that reasonable people can see in this person signs of any kind of illness or infirmity,” Lavrov said in response to a question from French TV channel TF1 on Sunday.

Putin, who turns 70 in October, appears in public “every day”. “You can see him on screens, read and listen to his speeches,” Lavrov said, according to a statement released by the Russian Foreign Ministry. Putin’s health and personal life are taboo subjects in Russia and almost never discussed in public. (AFP)