Ukraine official claims Putin's three body doubles got plastic surgery to look like him

Vladimir Putin is one of the most instantly recognisable figures in global politics, but is there more than one of him?

A top Ukrainian official has claimed that there are at least three body doubles who have undergone plastic surgery to look like the Russian president.

Major General Kyrylo Budanov is the head of military intelligence for Ukraine, and spoke to the Daily Mail about the images of Putin that the West is used to seeing.

Budanov said: “The big question is whether the real Putin still exists?”

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“We know specifically about three people that keep appearing, but how many there are, we don't know… They all had plastic surgery to look alike.”

Budanov added: "The one thing that gives them away is their height. It's visible in videos and pictures. Also gesturing, body language and earlobes, since they are unique for every person."

Are there Putin body doubles out there?Ramil Sitdikov/Sputnik/AFP via Getty

It comes amid ongoing rumours about Putin’s health, which were sparked earlier this year after he missed his beloved annual ice hockey game.

He appeared on a video sporting mysterious marks on his face that may have been masked by makeup.

Earlier this year, Budanov claimed that the shape of Putin’s ears were a giveaway that body doubles were being used, saying in a television interview: "The picture, let's say, of the ears, is different... And it's like a fingerprint, each person's ear picture is unique. It cannot be repeated."

He added that there were 'different habits, different mannerisms, different gaits, sometimes even different heights if you looked closely' on display to Putin.

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