Putin comment about Latvian healthcare given a full forensic examination

In a recent live TV interview the Russian head of state mentioned that a "very good friend of mine" had died of Covid-19 in Latvia. The DFRLab, drawing on local media coverage of the death, including by LSM, delves into the facts of the case and the ways in which Putin's account corresponds with reality and the ways in which it does not.

The full report by Nika Aleksejeva is well worth a read as an example of how even seemingly throwaway comments can be magnified into major news via social and traditional media if enough people get worked up about them and hang on every word uttered by people like Putin.