A “soldier” honored by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his New Year’s message has previously appeared in photos with the leader – as an ice cream seller, fisherman and parishioner at Christmas time.
The blonde, who was dressed in work clothes and was feted with other notable soldiers on the dictator’s holiday show, has been a regular part of Putin’s public appearances, Sibir.Realii, a media outlet affiliated with Radio Liberty, reported via messaging app Telegram.
“In September 2016, the President was photographed at a lake in the Novgorod region with fishermen – she was among them,” Sibir.Realii wrote.
She was then identified as Larisa Sergukhina.
The woman was also among the group of parishioners surrounding Putin in 2017 at an Eastern Orthodox Christmas service at a Novgorod monastery and was referred to as Sergukhina, the outlet said.
Vladimir Putin honors a woman identified as Captain Anna Sidorenko on New Year’s Eve.kremlin.ru/e2w
At least two of the “anglers” who previously dated the woman were also portrayed as “congregational members” at the service, photos show – leading some observers to suspect they are all actors involved in chilling staged photo ops with Putin were used, or a poor attempt to obfuscate its security detail.
The woman was also spotted on two other occasions – in 2017 and 2019 – “selling” ice cream to Putin at a Moscow air show.
As the British tabloid The Sun reported in 2019, Putin overpaid for his ice cream by more than 4,000 rubles – about $60 – and told the blonde to give the change to the aviation minister for the “development of aviation”.
At the time, Kremlin observers said the woman was likely a member of Putin’s security service, working undercover to help the Russian president blend in with average Russians.
During this year’s New Year’s program, the woman was identified as Russian army medic Anna Sidorenko. She stood behind Putin with her supposed comrades in riot gear at a message about the war in Ukraine.
A blonde then identified as Larisa Sergukhina (second from left) listens during the 2017 meeting with Vladimir Putin in the Novgorod region.Kremlin/e2w
In the speech, Putin vowed to defend Russia’s “historical territory” – a reference to his claim that Ukraine is not an independent nation.
Putin also blamed Ukraine’s western allies for the war.
The woman was identified as Larisa Sergukhina in this photo with Vladimir Putin during a 2017 church service in the Novgorod region.Kremlin/e2w
“The West lied about peace,” he said. “It was preparing for aggression. … And now they are cynically using Ukraine and its people to weaken and divide Russia.”
Putin has regularly promoted the theory that NATO and the European Union were attempting to threaten Russia by supporting Ukraine’s efforts to join the European community.
Despite a year of unexpected failures by Russian troops – and a bloody stalemate on the front lines in eastern Ukraine – Putin’s predictions were optimistic.
“Together we will overcome all difficulties and preserve the greatness and independence of our country,” he said.
“We will triumph, for our families and for Russia.”
With mail wires