Putin and Kim Jong-un impersonators help Zelensky lookalike flee Ukraine

There's no denying Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky and Kim Jong-un make an unlikely trio – but in the world of lookalikes, they make the perfect team.

Three world leaders impersonators banded together to form an escape plan for Umid Isabaev, the Ukrainian president's double. When Kim Jong Un (Howard X) discovered Zelensky (Umid) was trapped in Kyiv, he gave Putin (Steve Poland) a call to help initiate a plan to get him out.

"When the war started, I thought of Umid because I know he's living in Ukraine," Howard said.

"I got in touch with him and told him 'you need to get out of here because who knows what will happen if Russia gets hold of a Zelensky double."

The three lookalikes from different parts of the world don't speak the same language.

To help with translation, Ukrainian expatriate friends Vera from the United States and Dmytro Kharchenko from Singapore stepped in. Dmytro flew to Poland from Singapore to help with the Ukrainian refugees and met Umid personally.

Howard X/Facebook

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Due to Kyiv halting public transport, Umid could not reach the train station due to the dangers of erratic gunfire and explosions. During his time trapped in Ukraine, he was allegedly contacted by a Russian producer with a high paying job opportunity to create Russian propaganda.

The producer said Umid's life was in danger and should consider accepting his proposal. He offered to pick him up in Kyiv by Russian soldiers and escort him to Moscow.

Umid declined the offer, and through the contacts of Steve Poland (Putin), he was able to flee the country and successfully cross the Poland border on Saturday (12th March).

Umid has been professionally impersonating Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky since 2019 after a photo of him on the Russian metro went viral. He has since me Zelensky in person on several occasions.

Howard X/Facebook

Howard X and Umid have never met in person. However, both of them featured in a Russian documentary about political lookalikes on Россия 24 (Russia-24) last year.

Both Howard X and Steve Poland would like to state that they are against the DPRK and Russian regimes and only uses their impersonation to satirise these authoritarian leaders.

Umid will continue his professional career in impersonating the Ukrainian president and use his likeness to boost the morale of the Ukrainian defenders against Putin’s aggression.

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