An item from the Legion Magazine.

Speculation about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s health is only surpassed by theories surrounding the nature of his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump. [TASS]

Long-standing rumours of Putin’s impending death have been greatly exaggerated

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared in Paris on March 27, 2025, and boldly predicted the demise of his avowed enemy, Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“He will die soon, and that’s a fact, and it will come to end,” declared the man whose leadership through one of history’s more improbable military campaigns has been compared to Winston Churchill’s during the Battle of Britain.

Zelenskyy, who has been targeted by Russian assassins since Moscow’s forces invaded Ukraine in February 2022, apparently didn’t expand on the statement. How he expects Putin to die, by poor health or some other means, wasn’t clear. Putin has survived at least a half-dozen assassination attempts and a raft of rumoured health issues spanning more than two decades.

Jared Shawcross (second from right), with colleagues, is acting interpretation officer for HMCS Haida National Historic Site. [Parks Canada]

An armchair tour of HMCS Haida with Jared Shawcross

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

Dubbed Canada’s “fightingest ship,” HMCS Haida is the last Tribal-class destroyer found anywhere around the globe. Twenty-seven of its kind were constructed during the Second World War and they served with distinction. That service continued into the Korean War and broader Cold War.

Today, however, Haida’s primary purpose is for posterity, having been transformed into a national historic site in Hamilton Harbour, Ont., where it has inspired visitors since 2004. The museum ship’s acting interpretation officer, Jared Shawcross, spoke to Legion Magazine about the history, legacy, and his own deep admiration of HMCS Haida.