Vladimir Putin was seen fidgeting with his hands during a security council meeting as he was told how Ukraine’s invasion had prompted his nation to lose territory.
Putin was seen visibly stressed during a meeting with his top officials, wringing his hands in an apparent display of anxiety. Experts interpret such non-verbal gestures as signs of anxiety, stress, or indecision.
The movements suggest that the dictator may be experiencing internal conflict, lack of confidence, fear, or insecurity and may be attempting to self-soothe.
Putin is typically seen firmly gripping a table with one hand, which could also indicate tension and anxiety.
The 71-year-old leader was attending a security council session discussing the crisis he faces following Ukraine’s dramatic invasion of the border areas of the Kursk region.
His public display of nervousness came after he was informed earlier this week about Russia’s loss of territory and more than two dozen settlements – a figure that has since increased significantly.
His deputy premier, Denis Manturov, reported that 2,000 people were missing, including 840 nurses in areas of the Kursk region lost to Ukraine.
Putin is typically seen firmly gripping a table with one hand, which could also indicate tension and anxiety. The act of handwringing in this manner is unusual for him.
During the meeting, Putin also displayed some odd facial movements, appearing to bite his lip and looking exasperated at the information being relayed by his officials.
The meeting took place on Monday as Putin grappled with the repercussions of his nearly two-and-a-half-year war against Ukraine, a conflict he justified as necessary for Russia’s safety.
However, his efforts to seize more Ukrainian territory have been largely unsuccessful, resulting in hundreds of thousands of Russian troop casualties.
In a surprising turn of events, Putin has begun losing Russian territory as well, as Ukraine identified and exploited a weakness in his defences. This has led to him being perceived as a failure by ordinary Russians.
Even previously loyal propagandists have started questioning Putin’s leadership.
Karen Shakhnazarov, the head of Mosfilm studios and a renowned Russian film director, commented on state TV: “If there are further blunders like [the strike into Russia by Ukraine], we can lose [the war].”
“And that’s not defeatism. And it’s not alarmism. It’s just an absolute understanding of the price that we and our homeland will have to pay.”
