Putin, 74, Gets Bizarre Monkey Boost in Quest to Cheat Death

Key Points:

• Russian President Vladimir Putin has initiated a large-scale research project involving over 7,000 aging monkeys to study the biological mechanisms of aging, aiming to unlock secrets of human longevity.
• The project is overseen by Mikhail Kovalchuk, a close Putin ally and head of the Kurchatov Institute, who is conducting comprehensive examinations of elderly monkeys to understand the aging process.
• Putin, who recently turned 74, has publicly expressed fascination with extending human lifespan, including discussions about living to 150 years old during a 2025 summit with Chinese and North Korean leaders.
• The Russian leader has linked advances in biotechnology to potential life extension, suggesting that continuous organ transplants and medical progress could fundamentally change human longevity limits.
• Despite his interest in longevity, Putin has been cautious about public health disclosures, recently stating he had a thorough medical check-up and dismissing an AI health assessment at a 2025 exhibition.