Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Alaska Summit (Picture credit: AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s bodyguards reportedly carried a special “poop suitcase” to collect his faecal waste during his summit with US President Donald Trump in Alaska on Friday, according to reports.The unusual security measure is said to be aimed at preventing foreign powers from obtaining sensitive information about Putin’s health. “Putin’s bodyguards collect his faecal waste and bring it back to Russia when the leader travels abroad,” The Express reported, citing investigative journalists Regis Gente and Mikhail Rubin. The journalists claimed that members of the Russian President’s Federal Protection Service (FPS) store his waste in special bags and transport it in dedicated briefcases.According to The Express, this practice dates back several years, including Putin’s 2017 visit to France. Former BBC journalist Farida Rustamova also reported that similar precautions were in place during his trip to Vienna, when the Russian leader used a portable toilet.Rustamova said a source confirmed that the practice has been in place since Putin assumed leadership in 1999.Reports about the 72-year-old president’s health have long fuelled speculation. During a press conference in Astana, Kazakhstan, in November last year, Putin was seen jerking his legs, raising concerns. Dr Bob Berookhim suggested it could be linked to a condition like Parkinson’s disease, as per The Express US. Putin was also observed twitching while meeting Belarusian President Alexandr Lukashenko in 2023. Additional claims cited by The Express suggested Putin may have suffered a cardiac arrest in the past, requiring intensive care at his official residence.The “poop suitcase” reports surfaced as Putin met Trump in Alaska for peace talks over the Ukraine conflict.