The Kremlin was forced to issue a firm denial of reports suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin had passed away at his Valdai residence north of Moscow.
The claims were initially circulated by a Telegram channel named General SVR, which has long asserted that Putin was battling cancer and was terminally ill.
The channel further alleged that a “coup” was in progress in Russia, as it suggested that Putin’s entourage was attempting to pass off a body double as the real president.
Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesperson, dismissed these reports as “absurd information canard” in an interview with state media RIA Novosti.
This follows Peskov’s recent denial of rumours that Putin had suffered a heart attack over the weekend and reiterated that any reports of the Russian president using a doppelgänger were unfounded.
One theory emerging from these events is that the General SVR channel may be funded by individuals who were once close to Putin but have lost influence, highlighting a potential power struggle within Russia, especially amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. There are even claims that elements of the GRU military intelligence could be involved.
The full report from General SVR declared: “Attention! There is currently an attempted coup in Russia! Russian President Vladimir Putin died this evening at his residence in Valdai.
“At 8:42pm Moscow time, doctors stopped resuscitation and pronounced death. Now the doctors are blocked in the room with Putin’s corpse, they are being held by members of the presidential security service on the personal orders of Dmitry Kochnev [director of the Federal Guard Service], who is in touch and receives instructions from the Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev. Security for the president’s double has been beefed up. Active negotiations are underway. Any attempt to pass off a double as the president after Putin’s death is a coup.”
Nikolai Patrushev, the Secretary of Russia’s powerful Security Council, has been suggested as a potential successor to Putin, and there are speculations that he may seek to consolidate power for his son, Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev.
General SVR has been promoting the idea that Putin has been ill and replaced by actors trained by the security services who underwent plastic surgery to resemble the leader. A similar theory was espoused by Valery Solovey, a former professor at Moscow’s Institute of International Relations, who said: “The fact is that the current President Vladimir Putin is living out the last days of his earthly life.”
Furthermore, there have been claims that the real Putin has not been seen since June 2022, as asserted by the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Lt-Gen Kyrylo Budanov.
In an attempt to substantiate these claims, a recent Japanese TV report used AI to analyse Putin’s face, gait, and voice in multiple appearances, concluding that he may be using one or even two body doubles. However, Dmitry Peskov firmly refuted such claims and emphasised Putin’s active engagement in his responsibilities.
The General SVR channel is reportedly managed by a former Kremlin lieutenant-general using the alias Viktor Mikhailovich and alleges that Putin’s top officials and security personnel are involved in orchestrating the activities of the alleged doppelgängers.
