According to Kyrylo Budanov, his agency was informed by Kremlin sources that the Russian president has the condition.
It’s the latest claim regarding Putin’s health, with speculation concentrating on his often sickly public look and his penchant of holding meetings at a distance, or remotely.
“He has been sick for a long time. I am sure he has cancer. I think he will die very quickly. I hope very soon,” Mr Budanov told ABC News.
He went on to say that he believes Ukraine will win the war this year, and that it should be won before Putin dies.
While the West has speculated about life after Putin – if he is terminally ill or whether a palace revolution stemming from a backlash over the failed invasion deposes him – it has not been confirmed whether the leader is sick.
Bloggers and Kremlin observers claim to have received information on Putin’s regular cancer expert visits and the medication he is supposed to be taking.
There have also been claims that a fatal disease or his medication drove him to make disastrous decisions, including the decision to invade Ukraine at the cost of tens of thousands of Russians murdered or injured, as well as an economy under crushing sanctions.
Previously, CIA Director William Burns warned reporters that Putin was too healthy.
According to the Kremlin, Putin is fine.
It comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a 36-hour cease-fire to commemorate Orthodox Christmas, with Moscow urging Kyiv to comply. Ukraine has labeled it propaganda.
Ukrainians have repeatedly cautioned that Moscow’s overtures to cease fighting usually serve only to reset the situation and prepare for another offensive.
The ceasefire was declared only days after Ukraine launched a devastating missile barrage on forces in the Donbas region, shortly before Putin gave his New Year’s greeting.
And Russia is failing to conquer Bakhmut, a city in the Donetsk region that Putin wants to grab as part of his attempt to take over the entire oblast – one of four that he has illegally declared part of Russia.
