Vladimir Putin has been {accused} of utilizing actors to pose as troopers and carrying physique armour beneath his go well with for his annual televised New 12 months tackle.
The Russian president, 70, was seen in footage launched by Moscow delivering his pre-recorded message whereas standing in entrance of a number of women and men wearing navy fatigues. The clip then confirmed him elevating his glass, toasting the brand new yr.
Nonetheless, eagle-eyed viewers have prompt that Putin is seemingly so paranoid about his place being beneath menace that the Kremlin used actors to pose as troopers and medics for the tackle. Others noticed an uncommon bulge beneath his go well with jacket, suggesting he was carrying physique armour as an added precaution.
One of many alleged actors is a blonde girl seen standing over Putin’s proper shoulder. Just like the others, she is seen in navy clothes having been given a medal earlier by the Russian despot, and glances between him and the digicam.
Vladimir Putin has been {accused} of hiring actors to pose as troopers and carrying physique armour beneath his go well with for his annual televised New 12 months tackle. Pictured left: A blonde girl, mentioned to be a ‘medic’ who has been noticed at different public appearances by Putin
Pictured: Putin is seen awarding the blonde girl with a medal previous to his TV tackle
However this isn’t the primary time she has been seen with the president.
Within the broadcast she was adorned with a medal by the Russian president as a senior captain within the military medical service referred to as Anna Sidorenko.
However media outlet Sibir.Realii – linked to Radio Liberty – shared the declare that she is a mysterious girl as soon as nicknamed Agent Cornetto, after she was noticed promoting ice cream to Putin when he visited an air present.
Nor was this her first look at Putin occasions, claimed the outlet.
The suspicion is that – if this is identical girl – she is a trusted member of his safety element relatively than a navy medic as she was portrayed.
‘Realii has famous that one of many navy standing behind Putin throughout his televised tackle was a girl who has appeared a number of occasions in pictures with the president, in numerous roles,’ mentioned the outlet.
Pictured: A girl, who social media customers have mentioned is identical because the one standing behind Putin throughout his New 12 months tackle, is seen dressed as a sailor at a earlier look made by the Russian president
Pictured: A girl, believed to be the identical blonde girl as seen throughout Putin’s New 12 months tackle, stands close to the Russian president throughout an look at a church
‘In September 2016, the president was photographed on a lake within the Novgorod area together with fishermen – she was amongst them,’ the outlet mentioned.
The lady was photographed along-side the Russian president carrying orange high-visibility clothes,
‘And in January 2017, these identical folks have been observed at an [Orthodox] Christmas service in a Novgorod monastery.’
Most have been seen as his safety operatives relatively than actual fishermen.
Two different males have been photographed with the mysterious girls on quite a few events, additionally posing as fishermen and church worshippers.
In 2017 and 2019, Putin ‘purchased ice cream from the identical saleswoman on the Worldwide Aviation and Area Present.’
On the Moscow aviation present the blonde ice cream vendor was recognized as Ekaterina Safonova but is believed to be the identical girl as within the different outings.
In 2019 she served Putin with ice cream when he handled visiting Turkish chief Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to a vanilla cone. She had offered the Kremlin chief with ice cream on the identical spot two years earlier.
Sources on the air present mentioned her solely position was to serve Putin and after doing so she vanished.
Pictured: The define of what some commentators have mentioned seems to be physique armour could be seen beneath Putin’s go well with, suggesting the Russian president was taking additional precautions
Pictured: Social media customers in contrast pictures of previous look to match a number of folks seen round Putin at earlier public appearances
Newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets speculated that she is a colonel within the FSO – the Federal Safety Service – which is liable for guarding the president.
The sooner claims about ‘Agent Cornetto’ led to accusations that Putin makes use of his personal safety operatives to pose as peculiar folks – so he doesn’t have to fulfill members of the general public.
Well being or safety issues could be a motive behind such motion.
The brand new Sibir.Realii declare led to a vigorous social media debate in Russia as as to whether the folks within the New 12 months broadcast was the identical as in earlier appearances.
Talking towards a background of the 20 supposed servicemen and girls in navy fatigues, the fatigued dictator addressed from the headquarters of the Southern Navy District, near Ukraine, mentioned his officers.
Amid rumours of his failing well being and combat towards most cancers, he claimed to be guiding Russians to ‘our frequent future, our true independence’. He coughed and spluttered on a number of events throughout his 9 minute speech.
Commentators on-line prompt Putin’s tackle was a poor imitation of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s dangerous go to to the warfare’s entrance traces, through which he was seen shaking palms with troopers and handing out awards.
Nobel peace prize 2022 co-winner Oleksandra Matviichuk wrote: ‘Putin wished to repeat Zelensky, who got here to the Ukrainian defenders in Bakhmut. However after ten months of full-scale warfare, even actors are in brief provide in Russia.’
Eagle-eyed viewers additionally mentioned they may see a top level view of physique armour beneath Putin’s go well with, suggesting he was taking additional precautions.
