Saturday 29 October 2022 11:07 PM Ukraine's military chief claims Putin is using THREE body doubles who have had ... trends now
Vladimir Putin is using at least three body doubles who have had plastic surgery to look like him, claims Ukraine's intelligence chief who speculates they are being used to cover up his loss of control in the Kremlin.
Major General Kyrylo Budanov, head of military intelligence, says the Ukraine government is so perplexed by Russia's disastrous invasion strategy, it wonders if Putin is still taking the key decisions.
He says 'no matter how bad' Putin was in the past, 'he was not an idiot', but goes on to argue that Russia's war 'does not follow any logic'.
Budanov adds: 'The big question is whether the real Putin still exists?'
A doppelganger of Vladimir Putin (left) compared with the Russian leader (right). Ukraine's intelligence chief claims Putin is using at least three body doubles who have had plastic surgery to look like him
The extraordinary suggestion, amid repeated rumours about Putin's health, came in an exclusive interview with the man seen as Moscow's Public Enemy No 1 after a series of devastating attacks on Russian interests.
Budanov says they had detected Putin doubles in the past standing in for him on 'special occasions', but it is 'usual practice' now. 'We know specifically about three people that keep appearing, but how many there are, we don't know,' he says. 'They all had plastic surgery to look alike.
'The one thing that gives them away is their height. It's visible in videos and pictures. Also gesturing, body language and earlobes, since they are unique for every person.' Budanov refuses to be drawn on whether Putin has disappeared, through illness or after a power struggle. He reveals the Kremlin is running out of guided missiles and believes that if Ukraine recaptures the southern city of Kherson, it could have dramatic consequences for the Russian regime.
He says 'change is inevitable' in Moscow, arguing that the arrival of a new political order in Russia is in the interests of 'the whole civilised world' and calling on Britain to do everything 'to speed up the events that will happen anyway'.
'We are very grateful for the assistance your government is providing,' says Budanov. 'We hope the UK will not only continue political, economic and military support but increase it. We are in acute need of air defence systems.'
He admits that Ukraine's leaders would have discussions over whether to continue pushing their forces over the Russian border. 'This decision will be made by the head of the state when we get all our land back,' he says.
Major General Kyrylo Budanov, head of military intelligence (pictured) has questioned 'whether the real Putin still exists?'
Budanov is an ex-special forces operative who was appointed head of military intelligence two years ago, aged just 34 – then promoted shortly before the war to oversee all intelligence. He has been wounded several times in action.
Russian media has linked him with undercover operations in Crimea, along with another officer who later died in a car bombing, while it was reported in Ukraine that he was targeted in an assassination attempt in 2019.
Last week, a leading Russian analyst praised Budanov's effectiveness and called for his elimination. 'Yes, they officially call me Public Enemy No 1,' he laughs.
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