Top Zelensky adviser suggests Putin sent body double to Ukraine

Is he Putin on a front?

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.

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Conspiracy theories about Putin using body doubles have floated around since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but have never been proven.

Ukrainian military intelligence representative Andriy Yusov told the Kyiv Post “a man that looks like Putin visited Mariupol.”

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The head of Ukrainian military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, told the outlet earlier this year that using body doubles reduces the risk of an assassination attempt.

“Russian President Vladimir Putin uses at least three look-alikes. They have had plastic surgery to look more like the Kremlin head,” Budanov said.

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“We know specifically about three people who keep appearing, but how many there are, we don’t know,” Budanov said.

“The one thing that gives them away is their height. It’s visible in videos and pictures. Also gestures, body language and earlobes, since they are unique for every person.”