An image shared on Twitter purports to show a screenshot of a Moscow Times article claiming Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly collapsed after suffering a heart attack.

Putin suffers heart attack! South African ANC #BRICS pic.twitter.com/LGNCv4rQJ6

— RSA Individual 🇿🇦 🇺🇦 (@IndividualRSA) May 12, 2023

Verdict: False

The screenshot appears to be digitally fabricated, as the headline neither appears on the outlet’s website nor its social media accounts. A reverse image search reveals the photos were created using artificial intelligence (AI).

Fact Check:

Putin said a “real war” is being waged on Russia during his May 9 Victory Day speech, according to Reuters. Putin’s comments followed a barrage of missiles Moscow unleashed on targets in Ukraine, The Associated Press reported.

“President Putin suffers heart attack,” the headline of the Moscow Times article shared on Twitter purports. The post has received nearly 22,000 views at the time of publication.

The claim is false. The screenshot appears to be digitally fabricated, as the headline neither appears on the outlet’s website nor its social media accounts. A reverse image search reveals the photos of Putin included in the screenshot were originally posted to Twitter in March 2022. A translation of the post’s caption alleges that Putin fell during a meeting in the Kremlin.

A subsequent tweet posted by the social media user who shared the photo indicated the photos were created using AI. In a third tweet, the user named Midjourney as the AI program used to create the images.

если можно было бы отредактировать первый твит, я бы туда дописал, что это midjourney, но вышел тест на навык фактчекинга для тех, кто сможет дочитать до второго твита в треде

а вообще тот факт, что вышло с помощью ИИ сгенерировать фото, в которое можно верить, увлекателен

— Миша Петров (@mishapetrof) March 23, 2023

Likewise, there have been no credible news reports supporting the claim Putin collapsed after suffering a heart attack. Had the Russian President actually experienced a heart attack, the media would have covered it. In addition, the Kremlin has not publicly addressed the claim on its website or verified Twitter account. (RELATED: Did Vladimir Putin Blame Americans For Interfering With Their Own Democracy?)

Check Your Fact has contacted the Kremlin for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.