PUTIN'S top doctor has been detained by the FSB after "seeking to flee the country".

       Viktor Trukhin, 59, who is believed to know Vladimir Putin's medical secrets vanished six days ago after being fired from his senior post at a top state institute amid “fraud” allegations.

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       Viktor Trukhin has been arrested after being caught 'trying to flee the country'

       A lawyer by education, he reportedly has full knowledge of Russia’s latest research and development in the field of vaccines, serums and “bacterial preparations”.

       Trukhin was arrested by Vladimir Putin’s FSB counterintelligence service after attempting to escape abroad via Belarus, reported Telegram channel Cheka-OGPU.

       Trukhin was the director of the St. Petersburg Research Institute of Vaccines and Serums for 11 years before he went missing and was simultaneously sacked from his position by the Federal Medical Biological Agency (FMBA).

       The institute Trukhin headed is part of the FMBA which is a Russian state body tasked with ensuring the country’s radiation, chemical, and biological safety, and spearheading health protection.

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       FMBA said Russian law enforcement agencies have been handed a dossier alleging his involvement in fraud following a check regarding corruption claims, it was reported.

       “He tried to leave the Russian Federation for Belarus and was detained by officers of the Russian FSB, who apparently knew that the director…planned to travel abroad," the channel added.

       A criminal case was opened against him when “it became clear that Trukhin intended to leave the Russian Federation and could tell a lot of interesting things about Russian vaccines and serums,” they said.

       Trukhin was found to have been in possession of a Nicaraguan passport, according to the report.

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       The case suddenly opened against him centres on an alleged ￡4.75million payment to a South American biotechnology institute, said the channel.

       Fontanka news outlet said he is held in a pre-trial detention centre on a lesser charge of embezzling around ￡5,000.

       His institute is at the forefront of drugs to tackle coronavirus, hepatitis and sexually transmitted diseases, and plays a leading role in exporting Russian vaccines, but has other mysterious contracts.

       The biggest single client was a company owned by close Putin crony Sergei Chemezov, a former KGB colleague, who is the billionaire head of ROSTEC, a state-owned hi-tech defence conglomerate.

       Trukhin’s daughter saw him in Moscow on 3 September but was not seen after this, say reports.

       He wrote a farewell letter to the staff of his “unique” institute, announcing his departure and saying: “This decision was not mine, unfortunately.”

       His WhatsApp and Telegram apps were opened briefly on 5 September, but he was not in touch, said reports.