Anton Gerashechenko, an adviser to the minister of internal affairs of Ukraine, claimed in a tweet that Putin might have sent his body double to Donbas.
A top adviser to the Ukrainian government stoked conspiracy theories Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been using body doubles to attend public events in his place.
Anton Gerashechenko, an adviser to the minister of internal affairs of Ukraine, shared three recent photos of the Russian leader on Twitter — including two that were supposedly taken during a trip this weekend to Ukrainian territories.
The side-by-side images feature red circles around the neck and chin area of the man in each photo, seeming to suggest not all three men pictured are Putin.
An image that was taken Feb. 21 in Moscow appears to show Putin with a thinner neck, whereas the two photographs taken this weekend in Mariupol and Sevastopol show a more plump jowl.
Along with the images, Gerashechenko asks: “Which one do you think is the real one?”
The rare public appearance by Putin, including his first trip to Mariupol, a territory captured since the invasion began last year, has fueled speculation over whether he is using body doubles.
Not only was the Russian leader subjected to heckling from residents during his visit to Mariupol, but probing comments about his seemingly weak chin.
According to the sources familiar with the matter, Putin is sending U.S. weapons to Iran for reverse engineering.
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