Observers have pointed to Putin’s changing appearance over the years as possible evidence that he uses someone else to stand in for him on engagements he either does not want to make or considers too dangerous, according to a report in the Daily Mail.
The speculation ran rife again when Putin made a surprise visit to Derbent in southern Russia’s Dagestan region, with footage showing the usually stoic and stand-offish Putin energetically greeting crowds, taking selfies and planting kisses on the head of a young teenage girl who gushed over him.
In another bizarre moment he shook hands with – and appeared to adjust something on the uniform of – an officer. He has not greeted his security apparatchiks in such a way previously, said the report.
The scene was markedly different to the extreme, seemingly paranoid measures taken by Putin in the last few years to avoid close contact with the public, other world leaders and even members of his own government.
The strongman has enforced strict quarantines for anyone outside of his own close circle before meetings, likely out of fear of catching Covid-19.
‘A theatrical production‘
The uncharacteristically personable and jovial appearance confused even senior Russian figures.
A longtime Moscow diplomat said: “It is getting impossible to believe that there is only one Putin. There are several – very good lookalikes, yet they behave somewhat differently. This one diving into the crowd in Dagestan behaves differently to the traditional Putin.”
Commentator Viktor Alksnis, a Soviet military tactician and politician who is now a Western-based analyst known as the Black Colonel, said: “Why is Putin meeting with visitors in the Kremlin after their two-week quarantine and at a great distance, while in Derbent is calmly going into the crowd and even hugs and kisses some citizens? … How can the physical security of the president be ensured under such conditions? Something is not right here … It looks like a theatrical production in which Putin is not really Putin.”
His appearance in Derbent came a day after a picture of Putin with Chechen republic head Ramzan Kadyrov showed the president appearing bloated with mottled skin – also prompting people to question if it was actually Putin visiting the region.
Kremlin has repeatedly denied rumours
The speculation in recent days is by no means the first time it has been suggested Putin has been deploying a body double to public events amid claims he is suffering from poor health, is afraid of assassination, or is terrified of catching Covid.
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In fact, the chatter around the theory grew so loud that the Kremlin was forced to deny the rumours in April, with Putin’s official spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying: ‘You have probably heard that he has very many doubles who work instead of him while he sits in a bunker… [This is] yet another lie.’
‘You see yourselves what our president is like: He always was, and is now, mega-active — those who work next to him can hardly keep up with him. His energy can only be envied,’ Peskov added.
In February 2020, Putin himself addressed the idea of using body doubles. “Officials had considered using doubles, but the idea was rejected … I discarded the idea of any doubles,” he had said.Watch Is Russian President Vladimir Putin using a body double?