Putin's live line just got weird after double appears on camera
Photo: Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
During a public event featuring Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, Russian state television broadcast a segment that caused a stir beyond the country's borders, according to the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation.
During the so-called "live line" with Putin, Russian state TV channels showed a man in the report who was presented as BBC journalist Steve Rosenberg.
The real journalist was present at the event, but the live interview on air was conducted with another man who bore a visual resemblance to him.
In the TV segments, this person was shown to viewers as a BBC representative, creating the false impression that the actual foreign journalist was on camera.
How the propaganda image works
What happened serves as a telling example of how Russian propaganda shapes a reality convenient for the Kremlin, even at events officially presented as open.
Replacing facts and images allows them to create a controlled information narrative, preventing unwanted questions and independent assessments.
Reaction of the real journalist
The incident was noticed by Steve Rosenberg himself, who commented on the situation on the social network X. He ironically noted that he had no idea he had a doppelgänger, but apparently, Russian television thinks otherwise.
I didn't know I had a body double...Russian TV clearly thinks I do. At Vladimir Putin's press conference a reporter did a live interview with 'Steve Rosenberg' (but it wasn't me). pic.twitter.com/os0RIfFRc2
— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) December 21, 2025
"I didn't know I had a body double...Russian TV clearly thinks I do. At Vladimir Putin's press conference, a reporter did a live interview with 'Steve Rosenberg' (but it wasn't me)," his statement says.
It should be noted that Vladimir Putin’s statements during the so-called "live line" once again confirm that the Russian regime has no real readiness to end the war.
