Is He Next on Putin’s Hit List? Russia’s Top Doctor Vanishes in Moscow After Losing Job Over Major Fraud Scandal

Viktor Trukhin, former vaccine chief and director of the St. Petersburg Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums, has been missing for at least five days, RadarOnline.com has learned.

According to the Express, Trukhin, who allegedly knows Russian President Vladimir Putin's medical secrets, was fired from his position due to his alleged involvement in a large-scale fraud scandal. The suddenness of his disappearance has sparked speculation about the reasons behind it, with authorities launching a manhunt to locate Putin's top doctor.

Trukhin's daughter stated that she last saw her father on September 3, just one day before the Federal Medical Biological Agency (FMBA) terminated his employment. In a goodbye letter addressed to the institute's staff, Trukhin expressed concerns about the future of the enterprise.

He wrote, "We have created an enterprise that is unique for our country, but its complexity is precisely the Achilles heel that can affect the future in the most unexpected way. I hope this will not happen, and the institute will retain its unique competencies and specialists who today constitute its essence and spirit."

The circumstances surrounding Trukhin’s disappearance remain unclear. While his WhatsApp and Telegram apps were briefly active on September 5, he has not been in contact with anyone since then.

According to the FMBA, Russian law enforcement agencies have received a dossier alleging Trukhin's involvement in fraud, which has been verified following corruption claims.

Sophie Trukhin, Viktor Trukhin's daughter, expressed her doubts about her father willingly going missing.

She stated, "But this is not a fighter who gives up and can leave his homeland. The dismissal was so unexpected for his team that they recorded a huge video about how shocked they were and how good it was to work with him for these decades. My father is not the kind of person who disappears of his own free will."

Never miss a story — sign up for the RadarOnline.com newsletter to get your daily dose of dope. Daily. Breaking. Celebrity news. All free.

Rumors regarding Putin's health waning have been circulating for the past year.

Christopher Steele, former head of the Russia desk at MI6, has claimed that "very credible sources are telling us he's been ill for some time."

The General SVR Telegram channel has also repeatedly asserted that Putin's health is poor and that he relies on a doppelgänger for his public appearances.

As RadarOnline.com previously reported, several top government officials from Putin's inner circle have disappeared left and right.

Russian General Sergei "Armageddon" Surovikin was dismissed from his position last month for allegedly being involved in the Wagner Group's coup against Putin earlier this year.

The General hasn't been seen publicly since Yevgeny Prigozhin's mercenaries marched on Moscow.