Putin’s daughters, alleged sons and secretive inner circle

Vladimir Putin rarely discusses his children, but U.S. sanctions in April 2022 named Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova as his adult daughters.

U.S. officials said they believed assets linked to Putin could be held through relatives.

At the time, Reuters reported that Tikhonova was described as a tech executive whose work supported Russia’s government and defense industry. Vorontsova was linked to medical and genetics research.

Lyudmila Shkrebneva, Putin’s former wife and the women’s mother, has also kept a low profile. According to Polish outlet Onet, she said the marriage ended after years in which she and Putin barely saw each other.

Forum appearances drew notice

Maria and Katerina became more visible after the invasion of Ukraine. The Guardian reported that both appeared at the 2024 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, with Maria attending in person and Katerina joining by video.

The forum listed Maria in connection with the Russian Association for the Promotion of Science. Katerina spoke about technological sovereignty, a theme tied closely to Russia’s wartime economy.

Their family link to Putin was still not formally emphasized, even as sanctions records had already made their identities a matter of international record.

NBC News notes that Russian media treats Putin’s family as a near-taboo subject, citing a 2008 Pravda article that warned readers against public discussion of the (then) former president’s private life.

Remains unconfirmed

Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic rhythmic gymnast and former Russian lawmaker, has long been reported as close to Putin. The Kremlin has not confirmed a relationship, and Putin has previously denied romantic links to her.

The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Kabaeva in August 2022, describing her as having a “close relationship” with Putin and identifying her as head of National Media Group, a pro-Kremlin media empire spanning television, radio and print outlets.

The sanctions placed her among a wider group of Russian elites targeted after the invasion of Ukraine. They followed similar measures by the U.K. and European Union, which had already moved against her earlier in 2022.

Kabaeva’s public career has made the secrecy around her personal life more striking. She won Olympic gold in rhythmic gymnastics in 2004, later served in the State Duma for Putin’s United Russia party, and became chair of National Media Group in 2014.

Furthermore, the Dossier Center has reported that Putin and Kabaeva allegedly have two sons, Ivan and Vladimir Jr.

Investigations still leave gaps

The boys are said to live largely cut off from public life, surrounded by guards and staff.

The investigation alleged that they use cover documents of the kind normally associated with intelligence officers or people under state protection.

The report also claimed that the children spend time at Putin’s heavily guarded Valdai residence in western Russia. No public images of the boys have been released, and the Dossier Center said it chose not to publish photographs because they are minors.

Separate investigations have examined Svetlana Krivonogikh, a woman described as having once been close to Putin. Reporting cited by Business Insider said she later became linked to major wealth, elite property and business interests.

Her daughter, Elizaveta Rozova, also known as Luisa, has been identified in some reports as a possible child of Putin. That claim has not been proven, and she has not confirmed any family connection to him.

The claims have drawn attention not because they are fully settled, but because they sit beside a long record of official silence. What is documented through sanctions and public appearances is limited. What remains disputed comes from investigations into a private circle the Kremlin has worked for years to keep out of view.

Sources: Business Insider, Onet, Reuters, The Guardian, Dossier Center. Pravda, NBC News

This article is made and published by Kenneth Glad, who may have used AI in the preparation