Russian censors scour the internet for claims Putin is a 'bald dwarf' or seriously ill, leaked documents show

• A Russian government unit scours the internet for insults about Putin, reports say.
• It looks for insults about Putin's height, rumors about his health, or criticism of his policies.

Russia has a secret unit tasked with scouring the internet for insults about President Vladimir Putin, including mentions of him being a "bald dwarf" and "thief", according to leaked documents.

Details of the team were found in data from Russia's media regulator, Roskomnadzor, which was stolen last year by Belarussian hackers and handed to Russian independent media outlet iStories, RFERL, and others.

According to the reports, the federal agency compiles reports on all "negative publications" about Putin and briefs the presidential administration and Russia's security services.

They are particularly concerned about rumors about Putin's ill health, the iStories report says, and claims the president has "dementia" or "mental illness."

Staff at the agency will reportedly hunt down insults about Putin classed as "negative discrediting information", including labelling the Russian president a "thief," or a "bald dwarf".

They also look for references to him as "Little Zaches," a folklore dwarf he was depicted as in a popular Russian satirical show which was driven off-air after Putin became president, according to reports.

They are allegedly charged with tracking comparisons of Putin to negative figures, such as serial killers or in pornographic films. Included, are depictions of Putin as a crab or depictions of Putin as a moth, RFERL reported.

Putin has enacted waves of censorship since becoming president in 2000, driving critical TV networks off air and labeling independent media outlets as foreign agents in the early 2010s.

Last year, he outlawed any description of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine as a "war."

Discussion of the Ukraine conflict is among the issues monitored by the unit exposed in the leaks, reports say, with criticism of him spiking after he mobilised civilians into the Russian military last August, Russian independent media outlet Novaya Gazeta reported.

The Kremlin has closely monitored the internet for signs of dissent, clamping down on Russian search engine Yandex, Reuters reported.

Putin has carefully managed his image as he has restricted civil liberties in Russia, presenting himself as a macho strongman in media stunts, and appearing in closely choreographed public events.

According to a Wall Street Journal report last year, Putin never uses the internet because he's concerned about being spied on.