It could be described as surprising at the very least, the recent imitation of a rockstar by Vladimir Putin, which would be familiar to those fans who adore him.
The Russian president broke convention by making a rare public appearance in the region of Dagestan, where he enthusiastically interacted with a large crowd of fans, posing for selfies and shaking hands with them.
At her side, a photograph of him capturing a tender moment with his mother, she could be seen pleadingly kissing the girl on the cheek.
In spite of never acknowledging his security team throughout his twenty years in authority, he can be observed exchanging handshakes and modifying the attire of an officer, in another instance captured on camera.
While the spokesperson for the Kremlin said that Putin could not refuse to greet his fans, he has recently been considering his conduct with raised eyebrows, adopting a reserved and isolated approach.
Furthermore, it has sparked rampant speculation that the aging dictator is increasingly depending on look-alikes for his public appearances.
Seldom has Putin taken the initiative to personally interact with regular Russians, whereas individuals who are not part of Putin’s inner circle of loyal supporters have been compelled to comply with stringent two-week quarantines in heavily guarded state hotels, renowned for his excessively cautious stance during the Covid-19 crisis.
Recent rumors suggest that the paranoid dictator resides in underground bunkers, where security is so tight that visitors are required to pass through a special tunnel illuminated by ultraviolet light. Even pictures of the 71-year-old sitting isolated at a large marble table, meters away from his guests, have surfaced, further fueling the notion of his assassination attempts.
Moreover, social networking sites are flooded with memes and jokes about his apparent ‘doppelganger’.
However, what is the reality concerning the rumors?
“The Independent” reported that Jason Jay Smart, a political strategist based in Kyiv, mentioned that Putin has gained a reputation for being extremely careful in his interactions with others since the outbreak of Covid. Smart also speculated that there is a strong likelihood of Putin employing body doubles.
Furthermore, considering the circumstances, it appears probable that Putin is employing stand-ins to safeguard himself from illness and his own populace. Furthermore, there are accounts indicating that Putin avoids meeting his Security Council unaccompanied by his security personnel, following the act of disloyalty by Prigozhin.
Social media users highlighted disparities in stature and ear structure as they observed the dictator’s bloated appearance and patchy skin in a recent photograph alongside Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen republic, which also added to the speculation.
This sentence depicts a stark contrast, as it shows Putin plunging into an icy lake or riding horseback topless, which was previously seen in pictures.
In 2014, the tyrant who claims to be suffering from poor health first appeared. Previously, Putin had denied being ill, but reports suggesting that he might be suffering from a form of cancer surfaced after.
“Different individuals simply believe he is an absolute furious tormentor. A few individuals claim he is afflicted with cancer while others assert that he is experiencing cognitive impairment due to Covid. In March of the previous year, Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, informed journalists.”
Experts believe that the recent appearance of the double body in Dagestan, which the Wagner group saw just outside Moscow within a 200km radius, was an attempt by Prigozhin to demonstrate his popularity in the wake of the coup.
Mr Smarth stated that the street on which he shook hands with cheering citizens in Dagestan during his alleged trip is a demonstration of Putin’s strong public support, thus significantly weakening Putin’s alleged coup attempt by Prigozhin.
The Kremlin is now desperate to make Putin appear strong and in control, but it is clear that he is losing control of Russia. The reality is that Putin may well have used a double body in Dagestan, analogous to Americans encountering their dictator when they run into a North Korean cheering squad.