Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed long-standing conspiracy theories that he uses body doubles for security, admitting he was offered the option but turned it down. Speaking to journalist Andrei Vandenko of Tass news agency, Putin confirmed the proposal was made during the Chechen war in the early 2000s, when Russia was fighting separatists.
The 67-year-old former KGB agent, who has been in power since 2000, said he declined the use of lookalikes every time they were suggested. The topic arose because searches for 'Putin's double' and 'Putin body double evidence' are among the most popular internet queries associated with his name.
Putin stated the idea was mooted 'at the most difficult moment of fighting terrorism' during the 1999-2009 conflict. He personally visited the region multiple times. Despite online speculation, he assured the journalist that he is the real person and does not employ doubles for security reasons.
The Russian leader is due to step down in 2024 at the end of his fourth term, but analysts speculate he may retain power behind the scenes. In January, he proposed sweeping constitutional changes, the full implications of which remain unclear but are thought to allow him to maintain influence.
Putin is already the longest-serving Russian leader since Joseph Stalin, who ruled the Soviet Union for over two decades. The conspiracy theories about body doubles have persisted for years, but the president's latest remarks aim to quash them definitively.
