Putin lets slip about his secret young family after decade of gymnast lover rumours

Russian President Vladimir Putin has never officially confirmed his relationship with Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, with whom he reportedly has two young children

Will Stewart Russia Correspondent and Adam Cailler Senior reporter and MSN lead

12:19, 19 Dec 2024

[Putin possibly let slip he has children]

Putin possibly let slip he has children(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin dropped a cheeky hint about his rumoured young family. Despite never officially confirming that he has children, he's said to have with Olympic stunner Alina Kabaeva, who's 30 years his junior, it appears that Putin might have let slip that they exist.

During his end-of-year Q&A event with the world's media, the Russian President claimed that he enjoys watching fairy tale films with "my little ones," which was then translated into "my junior family members" by state-run channel RT.

The 72-year-old, when talking about patriotic films, said: "And considering such a unifying uplift of society, the kind of uplift that brings people together, is, of course, very important.

[Russian former gymnast Alina Kabaeva could be the mother of Putin's secret children]

Russian former gymnast Alina Kabaeva could be the mother of Putin's secret children(Image: AP)

"Our historic fairy tales and epic tales are being revived. I myself sometimes watch these with pleasure with my little ones."

A flicker of a smile appeared on his face as he mentioned them. Putin is also known to have grandchildren from his two eldest daughters - Maria Vorontsova, 39, and Katerina Tikhonova, 38, a high-kicking rocknroll dancer.

While Putin and the Kremlin have always denied a relationship between him and glamorous Kabaeva, independent Russian journalists have established they have two sons together. Although it has also been claimed that Putin and Kabaeva split earlier this year.

[The claims have always been denied]

The claims have always been denied(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

They are named Ivan, nine, and Vladimir junior, five, and they share his multiple lavish homes in different regions of Russia. The children have never been seen and live out of sight behind his palace walls.

Putin also has another secret daughter Ekaterina Krivonogikh - aka Luiza Rozova - born to his former mistress, cleaner turned 75 million multimillionaire Svetlana Krivonogikh, 49, who holds shares in a top bank and owns a prominent St Petersburg striptease club.

Luiza is known to have lived in the West - in Paris - "I have a private life in which I do not permit interference. It must be respected, divorced Putin barked in one interview.

He deplored: "Those who with their snotty noses and erotic fantasies prowl into others' lives.

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