A series of unseen photographs of Russian President Vladimir Putin's secret daughters have surfaced online. The rare pictures, dating back to when the girls were teenagers, have been leaked online by Putin's former billionaire confidant Sergei Pugachev.
Putin's daughters are from his first marriage with former Aeroflot flight attendant Lyudmila Shkrebneva. The couple divorced in 2013, ending their marriage of 30 years.
Putin's Daughters Photographed With Pugachev's Kids
The Russian President's daughters, who are in their 30's, have always remained a source of mystery after he chose to remain secretive about them.
Putin's elder daughter, 35-year-old Maria, who uses the surname Vorontsova, has a career in medical research and is reportedly married to a Dutch businessman with whom she has a family, making Putin a grandfather, reported New York Post.
His second daughter, Katerina, 33, known by the family name of her maternal grandmother, Tikhonova, is now believed to head a major new Russian artificial intelligence initiative. She was formerly married to Russia's youngest billionaire, Kirill Shamalov, 38, but divorced him in 2018, the outlet added.
Pugachev posted the images of Putin's daughters on his website. The billionaire, whose own children were also in the photographs, captioned them: "Young friendship is forever!!!" reported Russia's OpenMedia.
The pictures are believed to clicked inside the Kremlin and at Pugachev's then-home near Moscow. One of the photos shows them at a private party with the pop group Strelki, dubbed the Russian Spice Girls, the band confirmed to OpenMedia.
Meaww reported that the Russian President also shared two sons with former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva. The boys were born in May, last year. Putin has also remained secretive about his sons, reported the outlet.
Pugachev Believed to Have Taken Revenge on Putin
A close confidant of the Russian President, Pugachev, had claimed to the Financial Times that he "personally brought Putin to power."
Pugachev fled the country after he was slammed with legal charges for an alleged Ponzi-style scam with a bank he owns. Once out of the country, Pugachev filed a $12 billion lawsuit against Russia for allegedly expropriating his assets. However, the Hague International Arbitration Court rejected Pugachev's claim this week, reported New York Post.
With Putin being super-secret about his family and kids, the recent move of Pugachev by releasing the unseen pictures of Putin's daughters on his website appears to be his way of taking revenge on the Russian President.
During a press conference in 2015, the Russian President shocked many when he spoke about his daughters, revealing that he was "proud" of them. Even though he declined to confirm their identities, Putin said that they spoke multiple languages.
Adding that he does not like to mingle it with business or politics, Putin had said: "I never discuss questions related to my family. They are not involved in business or politics. They are not pushing for this."
