Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has significantly reduced his public appearances over the past four years out of fear of a potential Ukrainian attack, reports The Sun, citing former head of the UK’s MI6 Richard Dearlove.
“In certain situations he most definitely uses a body double for security reasons. For someone like Putin, this is almost standard practice, because he is one of the most visible targets in the world,” the former intelligence chief said. He added that since the start of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the threats facing the Russian dictator have only increased.
Dearlove noted that Ukraine has, in recent years, demonstrated its ability to carry out impressive operations far behind enemy lines. It is therefore unsurprising that the Kremlin now greatly fears sudden attacks from Kyiv, especially drone strikes.
According to the former British intelligence officer, body doubles are not used during closed-door meetings, but rather in situations where it is harder to fully control the environment. This includes the dictator’s visits to factories and other open sites, where there is a risk of aerial attacks. In such cases, Dearlove stressed, it is far easier to replace the dictator’s appearance with a double than during close, face-to-face encounters, where deception would almost inevitably be exposed.
For several years,
Ukrainian intelligence services have claimed that Russia has trained multiple men with similar physiques,
gait, and facial features to the Kremlin leader to appear publicly as his stand-ins. According to Kyiv, this allows the Kremlin to both save the dictator’s time and reduce threats to his life, reports Dialog.ua.
Former head of Ukraine’s military intelligence Kyrylo Budanov has previously stated that body doubles are used “where it is dangerous and it is better to risk a replica.”
This view is not limited to Ukraine. In 2023, one of Japan’s largest television networks, TBS, conducted an artificial intelligence analysis comparing Putin’s body movements and facial features across various videos. The study concluded that the man leading the Victory Day parade on Red Square was most likely the real Putin. However, a visit to the Crimean Bridge eleven months later may have been carried out by a body double. The match rate was only 53%, which biometric experts consider insufficient for a positive identification.
The dictator’s trip to occupied Mariupol showed an even lower match rate—40%—while footage filmed in Crimea yielded just 18%. According to the findings, this “strongly suggests the presence of at least two body doubles of the Kremlin leader.”
The Kremlin, however, officially denies the existence of any body doubles and insists that Putin remains fully capable and personally attends all important events. Nevertheless, the growing secrecy surrounding his movements and the increasingly staged nature of his public appearances continue to fuel doubts, the outlet writes.
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