Like every end of the year, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his wishes for the year 2023, surrounded by soldiers he’s already seen alongside him…in very different roles and contexts.
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Many international media outlets, including BFMTV, noticed the presence of representatives and relatives of the Kremlin master during his speech in Rostov-on-Don, near Ukraine.
Among those present is a blonde woman who has been seen several times around Putin. According to a Belarusian journalist, she had already accompanied him on a boat and during church services.
“Soldier, sailors, devout Christian. God revealed himself in a mysterious way,” reads the journalist at the origin of the viral post ironically.
“Amazing. Who is she? A bodyguard? An actress?” CNN reporter Clarissa Ward also teased on Twitter.
According to Ukrainian media, the woman will indeed be used as an extra during the president’s official tours. You will be a member of the United Russia party led by Vladimir Putin.
Sergohina Larisa Borisovna, 57, appears on the website of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia’s parliament.
Men also stand out from the crowd in this group of individuals. Some were seen around a meal and over a campfire with Putin.
This is not the first time that the Russian president has been accused of surrounding himself with extras during official statements.
Last November, he was accompanied by the mothers of Russian soldiers killed on the front in Ukraine.
A military historian highlighted the fact that many of the women present around the table had already been seen in the past, especially during pro-Kremlin performances.
