Newly released photos and video have reportedly revealed two boys alleged to be secret sons of Russian President Vladimir Putin, training as gymnasts like their purported mother, Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic gold medalist.
The images, which were shared with New York Post and said to have been smuggled out of Russia, show two boys identified by the outlet as Ivan, 10, and Vladimir Jr., 6, at a gymnastics event linked to Kabaeva.
According to the report, the boys were spotted at a children’s training session held at a gymnastics academy said to be run or supported by Kabaeva, who has long been rumored to have a close personal relationship with Putin.
The Kremlin has never confirmed any relationship between the two, nor acknowledged the existence of additional children beyond Putin’s two publicly known adult daughters.
The footage and photographs reportedly show the boys performing exercises and training routines alongside other children, with Kabaeva present at the event.
Russian authorities have issued no official response to the report. The Kremlin has historically refused to comment on the president’s private life, dismissing past reports about secret children as speculation or misinformation.
The claims have reignited international debate about secrecy surrounding the Russian leader’s family life, which has remained tightly guarded for years.
Putin has two publicly acknowledged adult daughters from his marriage to Lyudmila Shkrebneva, which ended in 2014.
However, independent investigations and leaks have long suggested he has a separate family with Kabaeva, Their relationship, an open secret in Russian elite circles since at least 2008, has been denied by the Kremlin.
According to a detailed August 2025 report by the Dossier Center, a London-based investigative group, Ivan was born in spring 2015 at a Swiss clinic in Lugano, while Vladimir Jr. arrived in spring 2019 in Moscow
The boys reportedly live reclusive lives in Putin’s heavily guarded residences, primarily a mansion near Lake Valdai northwest of Moscow, under constant protection from Federal Protective Service (FSO) officers.
They travel by private jets and yachts, with round-the-clock nannies, tutors, and trainers. The Dossier Center cited document leaks and travel records but withheld images of the children for ethical reasons, emphasizing their status as minors.