A360
Key Takeaways✦ Atlas AI
01
Kremlin released video of Putin in Moscow.
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Video counters Western bunker seclusion claims.
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Putin met former teacher in public appearance.
Atlas AI
The Kremlin released video late Monday showing Russian President Vladimir Putin driving in central Moscow and meeting a former school teacher, after Western media reports said he had spent weeks directing the war in Ukraine from underground bunkers. The reports cited a European intelligence document and said security had been tightened over fears of an assassination attempt or a coup.
Russian officials dismissed the claims as unfounded. The footage appeared days after Putin’s May 9 Victory Day appearance on Red Square.
In the video, Putin, 73, is shown behind the wheel of a Russian-made SUV arriving at a central Moscow hotel with a security guard. He enters the lobby carrying flowers and greets his former teacher, Vera Gurevich, embracing her as they speak briefly.
The video also shows Putin making small talk with a passer-by who walks into the lobby with his family. Putin then helps Gurevich into the vehicle and drives her to the Kremlin for dinner, the Kremlin said.
Claims centered on security and Putin’s public appearances
The bunker speculation circulated in the run-up to Putin’s annual May 9 appearance, when Russia marks victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two. The reports said Putin had spent weeks at a time in underground facilities because of heightened security concerns.
Russian officials rejected that account. The Kremlin questioned the origin of the reports and treated them as baseless, and the release of the footage was presented as a rebuttal.
Invitation to Victory Day events and political backdrop
The Kremlin said Putin invited Gurevich to attend the Red Square parade and to take part in a cultural program in Moscow over the following days.
Putin has been in power as either president or prime minister since 1999 and is two years into his current term, which concludes in 2030. His approval ratings remain high according to state pollsters, though the reports cited by the Kremlin said they have declined in recent months.
Russia’s State Duma elections are scheduled for September, as economic growth forecasts have been revised lower and public discontent has grown over tightening internet restrictions.
Attention is likely to remain on how the Kremlin addresses security and public messaging ahead of the September vote, and on any further signals from Putin about the course of the war in Ukraine.
