As his conflict in Ukraine enters its eleventh month, Vladimir Putin has been accused of utilizing the same person to perform in different positions during presidential photo opportunities.
A number of sharp-eyed critics recognized the identities of many persons who looked to be acting as military members, sailors, and solemn worshippers in a number of official images with the Russian leader.
Tadeusz Giczan, a Belarussian journalist, was the first to highlight the issue on social media, posting three images of president Putin standing with groups of people at three different events.
The UK-based reporter sparked a Twitter frenzy when he pointed out that the same blonde woman appeared in all three images – once in a line-up of troops, once as a member of a ship’s crew, and once during a religious service.
Her appearance in all three photographs sparked speculation on Twitter
Her appearance in all three photographs – twice posing in the first row, near Mr. Putin’s shoulder – sparked speculation on Twitter that she was in fact used on a regular basis by the Kremlin to crowd the president’s meet-and-greet photo opportunities.
“A soldier, a sailor, a devout Christian. There are several other faces who appear in both photos on the right.
Further speculation was sparked by Kyiv Post writer Jason Jay Smart, who also referred to the woman as an “actor.”
He noticed that the “military” line-up photograph was shot during Mr. Putin’s New Year’s Eve address, while one of the “worshippers” was taken earlier in the year at his Easter address.
Mr. Smart also said that the blonde woman and the other overlapping figures were probably gathered from Mr. Putin’s Presidential Protection Office.
“As one would expect: Putin’s New Year’s Eve address did not even use real soldiers, but actors (that is – people rounded up from the Presidential Protection Office),” he tweeted.
“The blonde woman can also be seen in his Easter address. Anyone is surprised?”
On Saturday, Mr. Putin devoted his annual New Year’s message to rallying the Russian people behind his forces fighting in Ukraine and predicting victory over Ukrainian “neo-Nazis” and a west apparently set on “destroying Russia”.
