Russian President Vladimir Putin visited China for the V-J Day parade. (Photo : Reuters)
Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly missing and is not seen in public for over a week. Meanwhile, reports are emerging that the President is actually on a paternity break as his reported gymnast girlfriend has discreetly given birth to a girl child.
The Russian President was last seen publicly on March 5, when he met Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. A planned trip to Kazakhstan was cancelled at the last minute, raising several eyebrows.
The mysterious and sudden disappearance of the President has triggered many rumours. While several tabloids are speculating that the President is severely ill or has even died, some reports are now emerging that Putin has fathered a child with former Olympic gymnast and long time girlfriend, Alina Kabaeva.
Switzerland based media outlet Blick have reported that Putin is in Switzerland, where Kabaeva is admitted in the clinic Sant'Anna, a unit specializing in gynaecology. The report that the gymnast has given birth is yet not confirmed independently.
Meanwhile, Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, released an official statement saying that "information about the birth of a baby fathered by Vladimir Putin does not correspond to reality," National Post reported.
Putin has been romantically linked to the 31-year-old former gymnast since long time. The rumour regarding the illicit relationship surfaced in 2008 after a local tabloid ran a cover story about it. The relationship has not been confirmed by the Kremlin yet.
The prolonged and unexplained absence of the Russian President from the public eye is giving rise to multiple speculations. While some tabloids have jumped on the story of love child, others are citing the medical reasons like a stroke, cancer diagnosis and even plastic surgery behind the Putin's disappearance.
"Yes. We've already said this a hundred times. This isn't funny any more," said Peskov, on being quizzed endlessly by media and press regarding the where about of Putin, Telegraph reported.
