Russia on edge: Did Vladimir Putin disappear?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has not appeared in public since March 5. His spokesperson, when asked by journalists, said there was no reason for concern and that everything was fine, N1 reported, citing the Patria news agency.

However, rumors are circulating in Russia that Putin has died, and he has already been buried on social media.

The most popular words on Twitter in Russia right now are "Putin umer," meaning Putin died.

The fact that the Russian president canceled announced official trips and meetings has only fueled public speculation.

According to Reuters, Putin was supposed to travel to Kazakhstan and meet with President Nursultan Nazarbayev, but the visit was canceled, and an unnamed source stated that the reason was the Russian president's illness.

Further suspicion was raised by the Kremlin's publication of a photo of Putin with the leader of the Republic of Karelia two days ago, with some media claiming the photo was taken at a meeting that occurred more than seven days prior.

The online magazine Interpreter published information, citing a source from an elite hospital in Moscow, that Putin had suffered a stroke and was hospitalized.

Twitter in Russia is "burning." Users of this social network are already "imagining a world without Putin," and even coming up with jokes.

Some are wondering if Russians will suffer like the people in North Korea did for their deceased leader, suggesting that Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela who died in 2013, will surely be happy to see him, while others say that Putin cannot die because it is not "profitable."

The office of the 62-year-old president declined to comment on the allegations of illness or even death, and his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov merely emphasized that there was no reason for concern.