Ukraine: "Putin at Victory Day is a double... the real one is hiding in a bunker"

"Safety Concerns Grow After Drone Attacks"
Suspicion of Decoy During March Visit to Mariupol

In Ukraine, claims have emerged that Vladimir Putin, the Russian president who appeared at the Russian Victory Day event, was not the real person but a double, sparking controversy. It is said that President Putin, frightened by the recent drone attack on the Kremlin, hid in a secure underground bunker, and a double with a similar face created through plastic surgery presided over the event instead.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 9th (local time), according to the British Daily Mirror, Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs, posted photos of the Russian Victory Day on social media (SNS) and claimed that a fake Putin appeared at this event. He stated, "I believe Putin was sitting in a bunker out of fear of assassination and dared not appear at the parade, sending a double instead."

He continued, "The drone attack on the Kremlin on the 3rd further heightened Putin's fear. The possibility of Putin participating in the parade is zero," adding, "This Putin double shows discrepancies in appearance compared to the real Putin, with subtle differences. The real Putin keeps a considerable distance from conversation partners, but the double is sent to meet and shake hands with people."

Earlier, on the 3rd, the Kremlin announced that there had been a drone attack targeting President Putin. At that time, Russian authorities emphasized that President Putin was not at the Kremlin and was unharmed, and that he planned to participate in the Victory Day event as scheduled.

This is not the first time the double theory about President Putin has surfaced. In March, when President Putin visited Mariupol, a territory occupied by Ukraine, suspicions arose that a double had gone instead. At that time, Advisor Gerashchenko posted three photos of President Putin on SNS, claiming that there were several doubles who looked similar to President Putin through plastic surgery, noting subtle discrepancies in appearance.

Meanwhile, President Putin attended the Victory Day parade event that day and declared, "A real war has been waged against our motherland," directly using the word "war" instead of the previously used term "special military operation" for the Ukraine conflict, drawing attention. There are concerns inside and outside Russia about the announcement of a large-scale additional conscription order.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.