A woman in the background at Putin’s New Year’s speech sparked discussions. She is also said to have appeared at other appearances by the Kremlin boss.
Munich – At the end of 2022, Russia’s rulers held Wladimir Putin a New Year’s speech. It’s actually nothing unusual for a head of state to give a short speech at the end of the year. The speech by the Kremlin boss caused a discussion – but not because of the content.
During his New Year’s speech, he is said to have posed not with real soldiers, but only with actors in the background, is the accusation against him. The discussion was triggered by a blonde woman who is said to have appeared in other Putin appearances.
Putin’s New Year’s speech: woman in the background actually a soldier or an actress?
Russian media reported that Putin awarded the soldiers for their services. After the video was distributed, speculation suddenly arose. They turned to the woman directly behind Putin in the front row of soldiers. It is not a soldier, as she has appeared in different roles in different photos with Putin, it said on social media. Hence the conclusion: The rest of the people are not soldiers either.
The Belarusian opposition journalist Tadeuzs Gizcan published footage of an Easter mass with Putin and a boat trip on Twitter, which the woman is supposed to show again with the Kremlin boss. “A soldier, a sailor, a devout Christian. God guides in mysterious ways,” he wrote. It was also said by other users that she had already appeared when Putin met the mothers of Russian soldiers.
Kremlin critic Igor Shushko also shared the same thesis on Twitter and did not substantiate this with the photos of the woman, but shared pictures of similar situations in the past that raise the suspicion. Shushko’s statement: Putin does not risk being around ordinary Russians. “He never does,” said the Kremlin critic.
Putin’s New Year’s speech: confusion with businesswoman triggers discussions
However: The woman who can be seen in the photos of the Easter mass and the ship is actually not the soldier who stood behind him at Putin’s New Year’s speech, reports reported t-online. Accordingly, the earlier pictures come from 2016 and 2017 and had already caused discussions at the time. Apparently, the woman in the old photos is businesswoman Larisa Borisovna Serguhina.
Current photos of the businesswoman show clear differences to the soldier behind Putin during his speech. Russian media also called the military personnel by their names. On the news page of the newspaper Ask for it it is stated that her name is Anna Sidorenko and that she is a soldier in the medical service of the 71st regiment. Nevertheless: Russia’s ruler Putin is a master of staging, as evidenced by a bizarre PR appearance at an armaments factory. (bb)