“Now experts are puzzling”
Kremlin spokesman comments on possible Putin lookalikes
November 4th, 2023, 8:38 p.m
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Speculation about possible Putin look-alikes continues to boil up online, including in Russia. In order to dispel the rumors, Kremlin spokesman Peskov now speaks out. “Putin – we have one” – he says.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has publicly ridiculed speculation about alleged doppelgängers of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Now experts are wondering whether there are three or four and who we see every day,” Peskov told young people in Moscow, referring to discussions on social networks about possible doubles of the Kremlin leader. “Putin – we have one,” said Peskov at the “Rossiya” forum with a large exhibition on Russia’s alleged achievements under the Kremlin boss.
Peskov had recently repeatedly rejected reports that Putin was using lookalikes or that he was ill. For example, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, had repeatedly claimed that Putin was terminally ill. The “dictator” has no less than three doppelgangers who have been adapted to Putin’s external appearance through plastic surgery. Putin himself once said that in the past he had been advised to use a doppelganger at official appointments for security reasons. “The idea came up, but I gave up on doppelgängers,” he said.
There is constant speculation about the health of the 71-year-old, who has been in power for almost 25 years – mainly as president, but also at times as head of government. Putin himself likes to emphasize that he keeps himself physically fit. However, how healthy the Kremlin chief is is a question in Russia before the presidential election in March 2024. Putin has not yet announced his candidacy. But it is widely expected that he will run for re-election.