“Putin umer” is now trending on the Russian Internet. Translation? “Putin is dead.” So much for the idea that the oligarch Putin controls the Russian Internet with an iron fist–he’d never let himself be killed online like that. Other rumors are that the Russian president has cancer. Putin has not been seen in public since March 5. He’s likely just holed up with Alina Kabaeva in Sochi for some peace and quiet after all the protests over Nemtsov’s death. After all, Putin fixed the place up real nice (a $51 billion renovation) for the last Olympics.
#PUTIN DEAD? “No need to worry. Everything is all right,” Kremlin says http://t.co/QqAKbHGRgR #ПутинУмер pic.twitter.com/PMtjTYDBmF
— UPI.com (@UPI) March 12, 2015
“No need to worry. Everything is all right,” Kremlin says, according to UPI. And there’s more joking and uncertainty than rejoicing among wired Russians. Maybe that’s because of who might replace him:
If Putin has gone, his successor could be worse. Sorry to burst your bubble. #ПутинУмер #putindead pic.twitter.com/u0e4wEZ7Cl — GorseFires Collectif (@GorseFires) March 12, 2015
