Russians have mocked President Vladimir Putin and claimed he sent his ‘body double’ to the frontline.
Some online are convinced that the Putin who appeared in the Kursk region war zone is not the same dictator regularly seen in the Kremlin.
The Russian ruler was dressed in military fatigues, but some pointed out he looked slimmer compared to his normal looks when he’s in the Kremlin.
Others noticed that while at the frontline, he read from normal-sized handwritten notes, compared to his usual large, printed scripts.
‘Of all the doppelgängers, they picked the most pathetic one,’ Russian Vadim said. ‘One that you don’t even feel sorry for.’
Natalia added: He’s the same [double] who went to hug the residents of the ‘liberated’ cities in Ukraine.’
Another social media user added: ‘Everyone had a laugh over the ‘camouflage show’ of the Kremlin ghoul. No one believed in the reality of the ghoulish body being transported to Kursk.’
Others claimed the clips of Putin at the command centre may have been filmed in Moscow to avoid the danger of Putin venturing near the war zone.
Another sceptic blasted: ‘Now we know why they grabbed Ukraine by the throat and demanded a ceasefire for a month.
‘So that Putin, without fear, without his [nuclear] briefcase, in camouflage, could crawl out of his bunker and for the first time arrive at the front line in Kursk.’
In 2023, a video circulating on social media attempted to question the reality of Putin’s surprise visit to Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, asking ‘Who visited Mariupol?’
It is unclear who created the video but it appears to be aimed at Russian nationals who rely on the country’s state TV for their news.
The footage states: ‘Specialists long ago noticed the differences between the Russian president’s body doubles.
‘A ledge on Putin’s earlobe constantly changes as does a small mole on his face. One of the Putins has straight wrinkles on his face, the other has small and interrupted [wrinkles]. This is impossible even if he had botox injections.’
Anton Gerashchenko, an official based in Kyiv, posted three images of Putin’s chin and questioned how they could all be his.
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