Vladimir Putin Body Double Rumours: Theorists Claim 'He Is Not Putin!' After New Delhi Arrival Video

Vladimir Putin's New Delhi arrival video has reignited body double rumours after the Russian president was filmed walking down the steps of his plane at Palam Air Force Station on Friday, ahead of the BRICS summit. Putin, 73, arrived in India's capital for the 11-member gathering, and within hours clips of him descending the aircraft stairs were circulating on X, where several users insisted the man in the footage was not Putin.

For context, claims that the Russian leader uses a stand-in are not new. The Kremlin dismissed similar rumours as 'lies' in 2023, when spokesman Dmitry Peskov called suggestions that Putin uses a body double 'yet another lie' and said the president remained 'mega-active' and in good health.

This time, the theory was set off by the X account @BefittingFacts, which focused on how Putin gripped the plane's railing while descending. 'He is not Putin! He is the 10th body double of Putin. Look at how he is trying to hold the railing. Putin never does that,' the account wrote. The post was subsequently circulated by other social media users and reported on by media outlets.

The claim is based on a small detail in the footage, with other users pointing to supposed differences in Putin's posture and walking style. One reply also pointed to the lack of a personal airport greeting from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as supposed evidence, although there is no indication that this was connected to the body double claim.

Putin's New Delhi Arrival Clip Splits Opinion Online

Not everyone was convinced. Some replies pushed back, pointing out that world leaders do not necessarily personally greet every visiting leader at the airport. Putin and Modi held talks in New Delhi on Friday, and India's foreign ministry said afterwards that the two leaders had agreed to strengthen their 'special and privileged strategic partnership'.

It is worth being clear about what is actually known here. The footage has prompted online speculation, but there is no evidence establishing that the man shown arriving in New Delhi was a body double rather than Putin.

Putin's arrival at Palam Air Force Station was officially scheduled, and Indian media reported that he was received by India's Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh before proceeding to his programme in New Delhi.

Putin Body Double Claims Have a Long History

This is far from the first time the theory has surfaced. In 2020, Putin said he had been offered the option of using body doubles for security reasons during the early 2000s but said he declined and had never used one for public appearances.

In 2023, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov again dismissed claims that Putin uses body doubles, calling them an 'absurd hoax'.

The latest speculation comes as Putin attends the BRICS summit in New Delhi alongside leaders including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and China's President Xi Jinping. Putin held talks with Modi on Friday, while Xi arrived in India on Saturday for the summit.

The Kremlin has not publicly indicated that the person seen arriving in New Delhi was anyone other than Putin. The body double claim remains unsubstantiated.