Russian government reticence to discuss President Vladimir Putin’s health issues is adding to investor concern about the lack of transparency in a country that’s losing $80 billion a year in capital flight.

The Russian leader canceled or postponed five foreign trips over more than a month, including to Turkey and Pakistan, and has mostly operated out of his residence outside Moscow. The Kremlin’s only statement was a report that Putin, 60, had pulled a back muscle during judo training in early September. Officials including Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev have repeatedly denied that the president is undergoing treatment or avoiding travel.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-15/putin-health-confusion-sparks-investor-concern.html