Vladimir Putin rallied support in Russia after the failed Wagner uprising last week with a rare meet-and-greet where he was cheered on by a crowd as he posed for selfies with young girls.
Footage from last night’s event — an appearance by the president during a trip to the city of Derbent in the Dagestan region of southern Russia — showed him blending into the night crowd like a Hollywood actor at a red carpet show.
The normally stoic and isolated Putin seemed revitalized after averting a minor civil war last week and has been uncharacteristically sympathetic. He shook hands with a young teenage girl and kissed her on the head Photo of her with the President.
In another bizarre moment, he shakes hands — and appears to adjust something on his uniform — with an officer who may be carrying his nuclear briefcase.
He has never greeted his security apparatchiks like this before.
The scene differed markedly from the extreme measures of recent years, which have imposed strict quarantines on anyone outside of Putin’s inner circle before meeting him.
His transformative behavior has led many, including senior Russian figures, to fuel speculation that Putin’s greeting to the adoring fans in Dagestan was in fact a body double.
Vladimir Putin attended a rare meet-and-greet where he was surrounded by a crowd while posing for selfies with young girls
Russian President Vladimir Putin takes a selfie with a devoted teenager from Dagestan
The normally stoic and isolated Putin was unusually personable, shaking hands with a young teenage girl and pressing kisses to the head
Putin meets with people on a street in Derbent, in southern Dagestan region, Russia, on June 28, 2023
Putin has not been seen greeting crowds in this way since the pandemic
In another bizarre moment, he shook hands with an officer and appeared to adjust something on his uniform, which may have been carrying his nuclear briefcase
Putin visits the Naryn-Kala fortress in Derbent, Russia’s Republic of Dagestan, on June 28, 2023
A recent photo of Putin with Chechen Republic leader Ramzan Kadyrov shows the president looking bloated and with mottled skin.
A veteran Moscow diplomat said today: “It is becoming increasingly impossible to believe that there is only one Putin.”
“There are several – very good doubles, but they act a little differently.”
“The one who threw himself into the crowd in Dagestan behaved differently from the traditional Putin.”
Commentator Viktor Alksnis, a Soviet military tactician and politician now known as a Western analyst and known as the “Black Colonel,” said: “Why is Putin meeting with visitors in the Kremlin after their two-week quarantine and at a great distance while he is there is?” Derbent calmly walks into the crowd and even hugs and kisses some citizens?
“Under such conditions, how can the physical security of the President be guaranteed?”
“Something’s wrong here.” “It looks like a theatrical performance where Putin isn’t actually Putin.”
And the pro-war Russian nationalist and former FSB Colonel Igor “Strelkov” Girkin declared with certainty that it was a Putin double in Dagestan some 2,000 kilometers south of Moscow.
“A person vaguely resembling the President — and not at all requiring compliance with the two-week quarantine required to get an appointment.” [Putin] “I ran through Derbent,” he said.
Another explanation could be that Putin flew to the remote Caucasus region to visit a city where a presidential trip is an important occasion and crowds would be very enthusiastic.
His former speechwriter Abbas Gallyamov said: “Putin needs an image surrounded by people so much now that he even forgot about Covid, quarantine and social distancing…”
“Apparently it was impossible to get an enthusiastic reception in Moscow or any other Russian region, so he had to fly there.” [Dagestan].
“Here…it’s easier to organize an enthusiastic audience.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) watches a show during a work trip to Dagestan in Derbent, Russia’s Republic of Dagestan, June 28, 2023. The growth of domestic tourism in Russia is ensured, among other things, by sanctions imposed by a number of states, said Russian President Vladimir Putin
Fans are eager to meet and greet Vladimir Putin as he tours the city of Derbent in Dagestan
Putin dispatches members of his security team to greet adoring fans
A recent picture of Putin with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov showed the Russian president bloated and with mottled skin
Putin en route to the Russian Republic of Dagestan on June 28, 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin (CR) visits the Naryn-Kala Fortress in Derbent
Independent news agency Agentstvo said it was the first time since before the pandemic that Putin had been seen in such a crowd.
“For the first time since March 2020, the President didn’t keep his distance and even kissed the child,” the outlet’s Telegram channel said.
“At the same time, two weeks ago, all guests who met with him continued to strictly observe quarantine.”
Kirill Martynov, editor of the independent Novaya Gazeta Europe, said: “It’s all very strange.”
“The place of the meeting is strange, as is the way Putin suddenly hugs people.” He doesn’t normally do that. Where is that, that, that [long] Table? It’s an enigma.
“I really don’t like stupid conspiracy theories, but the feeling that there are two Putins is growing.”
“Maybe it’s the same person but different behavior patterns.” “You’re in quarantine, you can be hugged in Derbent.”
Telegram channel Malyuta Skuratov reported: “It is much easier to believe that it is a double than that Putin dared to approach a crowd that apparently was not in quarantine.”
But it was also possible that the entire Rent-a-Crowd had been quarantined prior to his visit.
Telegram broadcaster General SVR – which claims almost all of Putin’s recent appearances have been made by body doubles because he suffers from cancer and other health problems – said: “The double hugged and kissed completely unknown old women and young ladies, including apparently minors. ‘ and the number of times the presidential double shook hands with strangers exceeded all reasonable limits…
“In general the show was a success, ‘Putin’ was greeted more emotionally in Derbent than Kim Jong-un.”
The channel claims that actors have had cosmetic surgery to resemble Putin and that they are used when they meet crowds or when the president is incapacitated.
As Putin – or his double – makes the rounds in Russia, his forces across the border in Ukraine are suffering from counterattacks.
Kiev said on Thursday its forces around Bakhmut were making slow progress and were engaged in “bitter” fighting with Russian forces around the embattled city in eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian soldiers on a Swedish CV90 infantry fighting vehicle on their positions near Bakhmut, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Sunday, June 25, 2023
Ukrainian forces are pushing back into the town of Bakhmut
As the Russia-Ukraine war rages on June 25, 2023 in Donetsk Oblast, the demolition of an apartment building in a civilian neighborhood of Lyman City can be seen
An aerial view of Bakhmut, the site of the heaviest fighting with Russian troops in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Thursday, June 22
“We are making progress near Bakhmut and moving forward.” “We are moving,” Ukrainian Ground Forces commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said in a post on social media.
Russian forces, backed by fighters from the Wagner mercenary group, announced the capture of Bakhmut in May after months of bitter warfare over the now-ruined city, which was once home to about 80,000 people.
Since then, Ukrainian forces have deployed careful attacks on the city’s flanks, after announcing a much-anticipated counteroffensive earlier this month.
Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Malyar said separately on Thursday that Ukrainian forces had used the “operational advantage” around Bakhmut and went on the offensive.
“Our troops are gnawing away every meter of enemy land in this fierce battle,” she said in a statement, adding, “They are making progress.”
“The enemy tries to hold their positions and counterattacks, but gradually retreats after taking casualties.”
The Russian Defense Ministry has not recently admitted any loss of ground near Bakhmut and said in its latest military briefing that it would repel Ukrainian attacks in the eastern Donetsk region.
Complete capture of the industrial zone is now Moscow’s main military objective in the invasion launched last February. The Kremlin has claimed that Donetsk and three other Ukrainian regions are part of Russia.
Moscow said last week that Ukrainian forces were taking advantage of an aborted insurgency by Wagner troops in Russia to prepare attacks around Bakhmut.