Russian President Vladimir Putin has been bathing in antler blood as he believes it improves his health, including boosting his sex life.
Russian news media outlet Proekt reports Putin has been using the alternative medicine for a number of years.
They also report Putin was visited by a cancer doctor 35 time for suspected thyroid cancer,
Proekt reports Putin was first introduced to antler blood baths in the mid 2000s by former Minister of Defence Sergei Shoigu.
Shoigu took the Russian President to Altai and convinced him to try bathing in Altai red deer blood as it supposedly helps revitalise the skin and improves the cardiovascular system.
An acquaintance of Putin claims the method has no proper health benefits but told Proekt the President has visited Altai multiple times as he enjoys it.
The unorthodox method involves extracting the blood from Altai red deer horns and bathing in it.
The horns are usually extracted in spring when the deer’s antlers are soft and full of blood.
There is controversy of the practice as the deer are tied to a special machine and left to hang helplessly, whilst the horns are cut off using a hacksaw, according to Proekt.
The Russian media outlet also reports Putin could also be struggling with thyroid cancer as he has been visited 35 times by a thyroid cancer doctor over the last four years.
Proekt uncovered the details by going through Government documents, showing which doctors stayed in hotels near where Putin was living between 2016 and 2020.