Major General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, told the Daily Mail in an interview published over the weekend that Putin uses at least three body doubles who have allegedly undergone cosmetic surgery to look like him. He also questioned whether “the real Putin still exists” and questioned whether the Russian president is still making key decisions in Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Budanov’s claim was also highlighted in a tweet on Monday by Ukraine’s defense ministry. Newsweek was unable to independently verify Budanov’s claims and reached out to the Kremlin for confirmation and comment. Suggestions that Putin may use body doubles have surfaced several times in recent years, although the Kremlin has not confirmed such reports. Although unconfirmed, the claims underscore speculation that Putin may be suffering from ill health or that his long stay in power in Russia could be at risk as his Ukrainian invasion suffers repeated setbacks. In early August, Ukrainian Major General Vadym Skibitsky told The Telegraph that Putin was “not well physically or mentally” and that members of his inner circle were “starting to panic about his health”. “He uses a lot of doubles…and sometimes it’s hard to tell if he’s the real Putin or someone who’s standing in for him,” Skimitsky said. Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during an annual meeting with participants of the Valdai Discussion Club on October 27 in Moscow. A Ukrainian official reiterated claims that multiple body doubles represent Putin in increasingly frequent cases. Contributor/Getty Images Shortly after Skibitsky made these comments, Budanov suggested speaking to Ukrainian TV channel Groshi that while suffering from his alleged health ailments, Putin was using body doubles to avoid appearing in public. Budanov said Putin’s alleged body doubles have slight physical and behavioral variations. “They have different habits, different mannerisms, different gaits, sometimes even different heights if you look closely,” he said. Budanov spoke again about the stark differences in Putin’s alleged doubles to the Daily Mail, saying height was the strongest indicator. “It’s visible in videos and photos,” he said. “Also gestures, body language and earlobes, since they are unique to each person.” Budanov added that Ukraine knew of three specific doubles who have appeared repeatedly, but noted that they could not be sure of the exact number of Putin’s alleged imposters. He declined to speculate definitively on whether Putin himself has completely disappeared either because of alleged health problems or internal power struggles. Putin has publicly acknowledged that he was offered at least one body double. During an interview with the state-run Tass news agency in 2020, Putin said he “rejected the idea of doubles” in the early 2000s as Russia was embroiled in the second Chechen war.
