Bizarre moment Putin wears ear defenders under his chin fuelling health rumours as pressure over Kursk invasion mounts

BIZARRE footage has captured Vlad wearing ear muffs upside down at a shooting range in an apparent attempt to keep his “sparse hairs” intact.

The Russian president was standing alongside Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, with health rumours erupting amid Ukraine’s invasion of Kursk.

Vladimir Putin wears ear muffs upside down at a shooting range

Rather than attempting to set a strange fashion trend, he’s trying to show no sign of ageing, it’s speculated

Putin watched on alongside attack dog Ramzan Kadyrov, whose son showed his skills at a shooting range in Grozny

The pair watched on as Kadyrov’s controversial son Adam, 16, showed off his shooting skills.

But what caught the eye instead was Vlad strangely wearing his ear muffs the wrong way.

At 71, Putin is older than UK pensioners and appears desperate not to show any sign of decline, a prominent Russian blogger suggested.

Rustem Adagamov appeared to mock the tyrant with an online post.

It said: “Why does Putin put headphones on his head like this at the shooting range?

“Because his hairdo is a long procedure, when the hairdresser has to style the sparse hairs so that it is not visible that the Russian president is already completely bald.

“And headphones will ruin all the beauty.”

Health rumours have also swirled regarding Kadyrov, 47, who is a father of 15.

The regional leader of Chechen, categorised as a republic of Russia, appears to have lost weight and was seen walking awkwardly alongside Vlad.

He has appointed multiple members of his family to key positions in government.

The hawkish regional leader is sanctioned by the West over human rights abuses.

Some reports have said Kadyrov is terminally ill from “pancreatic necrosis”, requiring regular treatment at the Kremlin in Moscow.

“Chechen prince” Adam, despite being only 16, enjoys the role of favoured son.

Vlad attending the range and applauding him for his shooting prowess is a strong sign of his standing in Russian circles.

But Putin’s day out came while his troops continued to fight a fierce defence of Kursk as Ukraine advances.

Kyiv forces on Monday destroyed a third bridge in four days in what was seen as a daring bid to cut off enemy troops and seize another massive slice of Russian land.

Ukraine has taken out the vital crossings over the River Seym to the west of its surprise Kursk invasion.

The river is about 15km from the Ukrainian border and Russia currently holds the 550sqkm area south of it.

Ukraine hit the bridges at Glushkovo and Zvannoe over the weekend, with Russian blogs saying a third was struck at Karyzh.

Professor Michael Clarke told The Sun that Ukraine destroying the bridges left Russian troops cut off and in “mortal danger”.

In a comical twist to the invasion, Vlad has ordered Russian living near the border to stop using dating apps amid spying fears.

He thinks Kyiv will harvest the personal data stored on the lonely hearts sites to use during its invasion of Russia.

It comes as Ukraine attacked Moscow yesterday with at least 11 drones in what Russia said was one of the biggest strikes on its capital since the war began.

Officials said a total of 45 drones were shot down over Russian territory.

President Putin’s Department for Combating Illegal Use of Information Technology issued the dating app ban to those in Russian regions Kursk, Belgorod and Bryansk.

Ukraine currently occupies about 440 square miles of Kursk following its counter invasion launched on August 6.

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The fierce battle sends sparks flying in Kursk[/caption]

Ukraine launched a huge drone attack on Moscow, lighting up the skyTwitter

Ukrainian troops ride a Soviet-made T-72 tank in the Sumy region, near the border with RussiaROMAN PILIPEY/AFP via Getty Images

Vladimir Putin poses with Chechen prince Adam Kadyrov, 16