Video of Vladimir Putin’s arrival in New Delhi has reignited rumors of a body double after the Russian president was filmed walking down the steps of his plane at Palam Air Base ahead of the BRICS summit on Friday. Putin, 73, arrived in the Indian capital for a meeting of 11 people and within hours footage of him walking down a plane began circulating on Channel X, with several users insisting the man in the footage was not Putin.
In context, allegations that the Russian leader is using his deputy are not new. The Kremlin dismissed such rumors as “lies” in 2023, when spokesman Dmitry Peskov called speculation that Putin was using a body double “another lie” and said the president remained “mega-active” and in good health.
This time, the theory was backed up by X’s @BefittingFacts account, which focused on Putin grabbing the plane’s railing as it descended. “He is not Putin! He is Putin’s tenth double. Look how he tries to hold on to the railing. Putin never does this,” the message says. The post was subsequently shared by other social media users and reported by the media.
The claim is based on a small detail of the video footage, with other users pointing out alleged differences in Putin’s posture and walking style. One response also pointed to the lack of a personal greeting at the airport from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as alleged evidence, although there is no indication that this was related to the body double claim.
Video of Putin’s arrival in New Delhi divides opinion online
Not everyone was convinced. Some responses deviated, 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, with India’s foreign ministry saying afterward that the two leaders agreed to strengthen their “special and privileged strategic partnership.”
It’s worth clarifying what is actually known here. The footage has sparked speculation online, but there is no evidence that the man who arrived in New Delhi was a body double and not Putin.
Putin’s arrival at Palam Air Force Base was officially scheduled and Indian media reported that he was received by India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh before embarking on his program in New Delhi.
Claims about Putin’s double have a long history
This isn’t the first time this theory has surfaced. In 2020, Putin stated that he was offered the opportunity to use body doubles for security reasons in the early 2000s, but said he refused and never used them for public appearances.
In 2023, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov again rejected claims that Putin was using doubles, calling them an “absurd hoax”.
The latest speculation comes as Putin attends the BRICS summit in New Delhi along with leaders such as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Putin held talks with Modi on Friday, and Xi arrived in India on Saturday for the summit.
The Kremlin has not publicly stated that the man seen arriving in New Delhi was anyone other than Putin. The body double claim remains unfounded.