Putin doubles theory: MI6 says how to identify the fake Russian leader
Photo: Russian president Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Russian president Vladimir Putin, according to assessments from Western experts, regularly uses lookalikes during public appearances to reduce the risk of assassination amid the war against Ukraine, reports The Sun.
The use of lookalikes by Putin has become part of a strict security protocol and has long since turned into standard practice.
It was stated by former head of Britain’s MI6 intelligence service Richard Dearlove. According to him, Ukrainian intelligence data indicating the appearance of Putin’s doubles at public events is credible, and decisions on who appears before the public are made depending on the level of risk.
Rising threats since the start of the war
Western analysts and officials link the tightening of security measures to Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
Ukrainian special services have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to strike targets inside Russian territory, which, experts believe, has increased concern within Putin's inner circle about possible attacks.
“He would be a drone target for the Ukrainians as well, if they could know exactly where he was when,” Dearlove explained.
Where lookalikes are not used
According to the former MI6 chief, lookalikes are not used during diplomatic negotiations and closed meetings, as maintaining the deception at close range is extremely difficult.
“The times when a body double would be used would not be in a face-to-face meeting because it would be very, very difficult to replicate Putin when you’re that close,” he noted.
The situation is different at open-air public events—walks, factory visits, or staged trips—where it is impossible to fully control the surroundings.
Analysis using artificial intelligence
Additional attention to the topic was drawn by a report from Japanese TBS in 2023. Using artificial intelligence technologies, experts analyzed Putin’s facial features and body movements.
They concluded that the real Putin was present at the May 9 parade on Red Square, while during an inspection of the Crimean Bridge almost a year earlier, his lookalike likely appeared. According to the study, the level of similarity between them was just over 50%.
During one of the public events involving Putin, Russian state television aired a segment featuring a lookalike that drew attention beyond Russia. In a report on the live line, viewers were presented with a person identified as British BBC correspondent Steve Rosenberg. The real journalist was indeed present at the event, while the interview broadcast on air had been recorded with another man who merely resembled him in appearance.
Western intelligence services point to an increase in covert threats from Moscow that do not involve direct military confrontation but are aimed at systematic destabilization through indirect methods of influence. According to the assessment of the new head of Britain’s MI6, Blaise Metreweli, Russia is deliberately promoting beyond its borders the “export of chaos,” using instruments of influence to destabilize situations in other countries.
