From Paris to Alaska: Why Putin’s poop always travels back with him

The report says the aim is to prevent foreign intelligence agencies from getting samples of Putin’s poop that could reveal medical details.

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | August 18, 2025 08:55 PM IST

2 min read

Russian President Vladimir Putin makes a video address on the occasion of the 180th anniversary of the Russian Geographical Society at the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. (AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bodyguards collect his poop when he travels abroad and carry it back to Russia.

This unusual practice is done to stop foreign governments from studying his waste to learn about his health. This time, Putin reportedly travelled with his ‘poop suitcases’ to the Alaska Summit in the United States. Reports said that his bodyguards gather his stool and take it back to Russia whenever he travels overseas.

The information first appeared in the French magazine Paris Match, written by journalists Regis Gente and Mikhail Rubin. They reported that Putin’s security officers packed his waste in sealed bags and stored it in a special briefcase to be flown back to Moscow. This was followed by a 2022 report by The Independent.

The practice was noted during Putin’s trip to France in 2017 and his visit to Saudi Arabia in 2019.

Reason behind the practice

The Independent report says the aim is to prevent foreign intelligence agencies from getting samples of Putin’s poop that could reveal medical details.

Ex-BBC journalist Farida Rustamova also confirmed hearing of such incidents, saying Putin sometimes used “a private bathroom” or even a portable toilet while travelling abroad.

She cited an unnamed source a saying the president had carried out the practice since the beginning of his leadership.

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Putin’s health has been a subject of speculation, especially since Russia launched the Ukraine war in 2022. Some unconfirmed reports suggest he may be suffering from cancer or Parkinson’s disease, though the Kremlin has denied such claims.

Not the first case in history

The idea of using human waste for intelligence is not new. Joseph Stalin is reported to have ordered secret tests on the poop of Chinese leader Mao Zedong in 1949 to build a psychological profile.

During the Cold War, British agents were also said to have studied Soviet soldiers’ used toilet paper for information.

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