The prominent billionaire has told associates that the Kremlin leader s psychiatric health is bad indeed, and stories about him going bonkers are not a joke .
An ex-KGB agent who defected to the West has said Putin is likely to be suffering from Parkinson s and early stage dementia, but that members of his inner circle may be kept in the dark.
Vladimir Putin is set to transfer power to fearsome ally and head of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev as he undergoes cancer surgery. The dictator has reportedly delayed the operation.