Kathrine Frich
Viewers quickly ignored the military message and focused on the president himself.
Political leaders go to great lengths to project strength in times of crisis. Every camera angle and backdrop gets chosen to send a specific message to the public. Sometimes that careful planning completely backfires.
A familiar face returns
Vladimir Putin made a highly publicized appearance on Friday to project confidence. The Kremlin released footage of the 73-year-old president walking through what officials called a frontline support post in the war against Ukraine.
He wore military gear and met with military chief Valery Gerasimov. The encounter felt heavily staged. A short hallway featured camouflage netting.
But online viewers quickly ignored the military message and focused on the president himself. Many observers believe this video featured the actual Russian leader rather than one of his rumored body doubles.
The walking dead
Social media users noticed a stark change in his condition. According to the Irish Star, viewers described the president as looking sickly and frail in the video.
One user on X claimed the footage showed the actual head of state. They wrote, “When you see Putin in a bunker with Gerasimov, that’s the real Putin,” and added, “From yesterday, he looks like the walking dead.”
The same commentator pointed out his skinny frame. They noted that he was “not the jovial, high energy one, with the bowling ball head.”
Signs of extreme stress
Another person referenced Ukrainian intelligence reports about presidential stand-ins. They stated, “This is the real one, underground, with Gerasimov, sickly, dying from stress, fearful.”
Other critics agreed that the leader looked unusually worn down. Someone commented, “Eyes sunk into his head, a sure sign all is not well.”
A different viewer focused on his changing face. Pointing out his visible aging, the critic added they had “never seen that much wrinkles and loses skin on him in recent times.”
A questionable bunker
The timing matters. The video release happened just as Ukrainian forces stepped up attacks on important sites in Crimea. Russian officials needed to show their leader in a strong setting.
Instead, people mocked the footage as a completely faked event. One X user called it a film set inside a bunker. They noted that the “flooring, lighting, and acoustics all look like those of a studio.”
Another critic called it a deeply embarrassing moment for the government, suggesting it was filmed in a Moscow studio. Someone else dismissed the entire clip as a staged military sitcom. They wondered if anyone actually bought the act.
Sources: The Irish Star, X
