Featured Image Credit: Alamy/Twitter/@Kremlinpool_RIA
Topics: Vladimir Putin, Russia
Anish Vij
Vladimir Putin has been accused of faking a military visit to a hospital after observant Twitter users have got people talking.
The Russian president was filmed wearing a white lab coat as he visited pyjama soldiers at the Mandryk military hospital.
Putin was joined by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, as he later dubbed the troops 'heroes', during a televised meeting with government officials.
However, Twitter user Igor Sushko has pointed out a very key detail in the various 'visits' made by the Russian leader, NY Post reports..
He put together a post with four images, which show Putin making public appearances on separate occasions.
Advert
In all of the photos, he is pictured with 'members of the public'. However, these so-called-residents, as alleged by Igor, appear to be the same group of people.
Igor captioned the post: "#Russia: This looks about right. In case you were wondering how #Putin can possibly risk being in the presence of regular #RussianPeople. He never does."
The original sighting was believed to have been made by Adam Rang, a self-described 'counter-propaganda' activist living in Estonia.
He tweeted that 'Putin met with a wounded soldier who, by a strange coincidence, was also a factory worker he previously met'.
In a follow-up tweet, he added: "Some people have their doubts. It’s not conclusive but it does seem to be the same person – and there’s certainly nothing new about that tactic from Putin.
"There was even a rioter in 2007 in Estonia who popped up as a protestor in Ukraine’s Donbas in 2014.
Rang alleged: "Putin's use of 'extras' for media stunts has been widely documented by Russians for more than a decade."
One user commented: "Nothing strange, he worked in a factory Putin visited then signed up for denazification mission and Putin come to visit him again.
"I'm sure it is nothing strange."
Another responded: "Lost arm and a both legs, but were quickly replaced and is ready to return to the front lines.
"Also the soldiers are so tough that they sleep standing up and therefore not needing any bedding linen.
"Super soldiers and super doctors."
While someone else wrote: "140 million people and they couldn’t find another actor? Ridiculous."
If you would like to donate to the Red Cross Emergency Appeal, which will help provide food, medicines and basic medical supplies, shelter and water to those in Ukraine, click here for more information