Russian President Vladimir Putin has seemingly vanished from the public eye amidst dire nuclear threats of World War Three from his regime, following Ukraine’s use of Western long-range missiles on Russian soil.
The exact whereabouts of Putin during these 12 days of heightened global strain remains a mystery, raising speculation whether the Kremlin leader is ensconced in a state-of-the-art bunker, under the weather, recovering from yet another cosmetic surgery procedure, enjoying a clandestine break, or has intentionally stayed out of the spotlight.
Despite this absence, the last confirmed sighting of Putin was at the Valdai Discussion Club meeting in Sochi on 7 November, where he congratulated “courageous” Donald Trump on his election success and seemed to be open for dialogue to bring an end to the war, as detailed by the Faridaily Telegram channel that tracks his public engagements. “Where Putin is in these anxious days, when the war with Ukraine is entering a new round of escalation, and what he is doing, apparently only his security and a small circle of close associates know,” reported the channel.
His invisibility was particularly noted on Tuesday when it was declared that Putin had ratified a new iteration of Russia’s nuclear stance, a disclosure coming shortly after his spokesperson suggested the document was still a work in progress.
Russia has expanded its nuclear strike doctrine to allow for a response against a non-nuclear attack—potentially by Ukraine using U. S-supplied missiles. This update comes after Ukraine reportedly utilised ATACMS missiles to target a Russian munitions depot in the Bryansk region, reports the Mirror.
However, Putin’s appearance on state TV for one-on-one meetings could have been pre-recorded as much as two months prior, leading to speculations about his whereabouts.
“It is no secret that the Kremlin often reports on Putin’s bilateral meetings with governors, government officials, heads of state companies, parliamentarians and public figures later than they actually take place,” explained Faridaily, under the direction of Russian journalist Farida Rustamova.
“This technology, which in journalistic slang is called ‘canned goods’, helps the Russian president to disappear from the public space unnoticed.
“Meanwhile, the Kremlin press service uses the ‘canned goods’ to create the illusion that the president is working non-stop.”
The use of such pre-recorded material to this extent has been described as “astonishing” by the same news outlet. Similar strategies have been noted previously amidst speculation regarding Putin’s health.
According to Faridaily, there are certain tell-tale signs in recent appearances by Putin that suggest they were pre-recorded. For instance, on 19 November, Putin was seen meeting with Alexei Nechayev, leader of the New People faction, who mentioned his MPs had just supported the first reading of the federal budget, which significantly increases spending for the Russian military.
However, the budget’s first reading took place on 24 October and its second reading has already occurred but wasn’t mentioned. Furthermore, Nechayev appears to have had a haircut since then, suggesting the footage might be old.
On the day he allegedly met Putin, he was also spotted at a parliamentary exhibition, implying he didn’t undergo the required five-day quarantine before face-to-face meetings with Putin. Another televised meeting showed Putin with Leonid Slutsky, leader of the hardline Liberal-Democrat Party, discussing parliamentary election results from September.
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On 14 November, when Putin supposedly met Slutsky, he made a public speech prior to the alleged meeting with the president, indicating he couldn’t have been in quarantine at that time.
Another politician, United Russia’s Vladimir Vasiliev, was spotted discussing budget preparations with Putin, mirroring events that took place in September. Similar discrepancies were noted during a televised meeting between Putin and Yevgeny Balitsky, the governor of the occupied Zaporizhzhya region.
“The Kremlin has not reported any public events with Putin for almost two weeks – the last time he appeared in public was on November 7 at the Valdai Forum,” the channel reported. “Since then, the Kremlin has only published video messages and bilateral meetings, many of which are ‘canned’. Where Putin is in these anxious days, when the war with Ukraine is entering a new round of escalation, and what he is doing, apparently only his security and a small circle of close associates know. Perhaps it does not even include press secretary Dmitry Peskov, who several hours before the publication of the new nuclear doctrine, assured that it was not yet ready.”
Meanwhile, Putin’s alleged secret lover Alina Kabaeva, 41, a former Olympic champion, has surfaced in Qatar, where videos show her with her rhythmic gymnastics starlets for a tournament.
Putin’s disappearance between November 8 and 19 comes amid heightened international tension, with his Kremlin security council deputy Dmitry Medvedev – Russia’s president from 2008-2012 – starkly warning that a nuclear World War Three could be triggered.
He declared on Tuesday: “The use of the Alliance missiles in this way can now be qualified as an attack by the bloc countries on Russia. In this case, the right arises to launch a retaliatory strike with weapons of mass destruction on Kyiv and the main NATO facilities, wherever they are. And this is already World War Three.”
Calculations are ongoing in Moscow and Kyiv regarding the impact of the new Trump presidency on the conflict’s resolution. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has committed to employing long-range US missiles and appears to also have been granted permission to utilise British Storm Shadows and French SCALPs.
However, Zelensky has expressed concerns about the potential consequences of a reduction in military aid from the US. Speaking to Fox News, he stated: “If they cut, I think we will lose. Of course, we will continue to fight anyway. We have our own production, but it is not enough to have an advantage. And I think it is not enough to survive.”
He further noted: “But if this is America’s choice, then we will decide what we need to do.”
During Putin’s visit to Sochi, there were reports suggesting he did not overnight stay in the Black Sea resort town, which lies within striking distance of Ukrainian drones.
Earlier today, it was reported that the US embassy in Kyiv has closed following receipt of “specific information” about a potential Russian air attack. The US State Department shared on Twitter: “Ukraine: The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv received specific information of a potential significant air attack on Nov 20. The Embassy will be closed and recommends U.S. citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced.”
The embassy also stated on its website that the closure was taken “out of an abundance of caution,” and embassy staff have been instructed to shelter in place.
This comes after Ukraine launched six long-range missiles at a military facility in Russia, and Putin signed a new decree allowing for the use of nuclear weapons “under threat”. Speaking to The Mirror, Professor Anthony Glees, a security and intelligence expert from the University of Buckingham, commented on Putin’s new doctrine, saying the dictator is declaring “with cold brazen cheek” that he “will feel free to launch a nuclear strike either on Ukraine or even on the USA and/or the UK if he feels like it.”
Professor Glees stated: “He’s saying, with cold brazen cheek, not just that he would deploy nukes if Russia (or Belarus) faced aggression from conventional force of arms if this were to ‘threaten our sovereignty or territorial integrity’ but that if a conventionally armed state (i.e. Ukraine) were ‘supported’ by a nuclear power (i.e. The USA – or the UK), this would be considered a ‘joint attack’ on Russia and be met by a nuclear response.”
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