Putin shows off home chapel and favourite drink in bizarre Kremlin tour… and admits he ‘fights urge to punch people'
DICTATOR Vladimir Putin has showed off his private chapel and his favourite drink in a bizarre tour of his Kremlin apartment.
The Russian tyrant gave the public a glimpse into his home in an interview marking the 25th anniversary of his first inauguration as president.
5
5
5
The bizarre footage shows Putin giving his favourite interviewer, Pavel Zarubin, a tour of the apartment while answering his questions.
When asked about his grandchildren from daughters Maria, 39, and Katerina, 37, Putin says they occasionally visit him unexpectedly in his austere apartment.
He said: 'They can, they can.
'But still everyone understands that I have such an around-the-clock schedule, and they try to give advance notice, [and] ask when I'll have a little window to see them.'
Zarubin follows up and asks if he is a strict grandfather to which the 72-year-old responds: 'No, no!'
Putin did not name his grandchildren but it is known his eldest grandson Roman, 12 - born to his daughter Maria - is half-Dutch, by her first husband Jorrit Faassen, the son of a NATO colonel.
The pair then make a stop in the kitchen where Putin is seen getting a bottle of kefir from his German Liebherr fridge, before offering some to Zarubin.
The dictator claimed he copes in the kitchen alone before admitting: 'Well, the guys [adjutants] come, they help.
'But now, what for? We'll pour the kefir ourselves.'
Kefir is a traditional Russian sour milk associated with gut health, immunity, and longevity - suggesting he is trying to show he's patriotic and staying fit.
Putin is later asked about unleashing nuclear war against Ukraine or the West - a question often raised by Russian propagandists.
Zarubin asks: 'When [Ukraine and the West] provoke us, provoke us, provoke us – they even started hitting us with NATO missiles.
'And many people had this desire…to strike back.
'Why such cold-bloodedness these three years? Because everything would have ended in nuclear war in that case?'
Mad Vlad replies: 'You said it right – they wanted to provoke us.
'They wanted to make us make mistakes.
'Well, and there was no need to use the weapons you're talking about – and, I hope, there won't be.
'We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 [the war against Ukraine] to a logical conclusion with a result that suits Russia.'
The Russian leader also gave a glimpse into his gold-gilded chapel where he claims he fell to his knees to pray after the Nord-Ost siege in 2002.
He said: 'Here is [my] little home chapel."
He continued: 'Back then, during the Nord-Ost crisis, I, for the first time in my life, knelt.'
Hundreds of hostages died in the Nord-Ost siege, mainly from gas used by Putin's pawns, and up to 50 militants were also killed.
The interview then took a strange turn as Putin admitted he often has to restrain himself from a craving to punch people.
Zarubin asked: 'On the outside, you always seem very cold-blooded and reserved — don't you ever get the urge to, as they say, punch someone?'
Putin replied: 'Always….I live with it. But I fight it.'
Finally, Putin revealed that he is always thinking about who to crown as his successor and hinted at a potential leadership contest.
He said: 'I always think about that.
'In the end, people can have whatever attitude they want toward this, but ultimately, yes, in the final analysis, the choice belongs to the people - the Russian people, the citizens, the voters.'
He suggested that the outcome could be skewed with 'election technologies' and 'administrative resources'.
But he said: 'The chances of truly achieving something are slim for a person who doesn't have the trust of the people behind them.
'That's a fundamental issue.
'So when I think about this - and I think about it all the time - of course I think that a person should emerge, or better yet several people, so the people have a choice.
'Someone who could earn that trust from the citizens of the country.'
Zarubin probed: 'But you're constantly observing and assessing the potential of each person, right?'
To which Putin simply replied: 'Yes. That's right.'
The bizarre interview - " Russia, Kremlin, Putin, 25 years" - was intended to reveal new personal details about the notoriously secretive Putin.
The dictator claimed the apartment has been his main base during the war against Ukraine, but it looked far from homely.
Ironically, a large portrait of Russian Emperor Alexander III is sat on a desk when the two open the doors on the left side.
Dubbed "The Peacemaker" the Russian Tsar fought no major wars during his reign - a far cry from Putin's rule.
But the emperor was also known for tight censorship, empowering the Russian secret police, cracking down on political dissenters, revolutionaries, and nationalist movements, including Ukrainians - all of which may appeal to Putin.
Putin became president on the last day of 1999 and served from 1999 to 2008, before serving as prime minister until 2012.
The former KGB lieutenant colonel then became president for a second time in 2012
5
5
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Putin's secret daughter, 22, ‘working in anti-war art gallery in Paris' after ‘ditching tyrant's name'
VLADIMIR Putin's alleged secret daughter is reportedly working at two Parisian art galleries that showcase anti-war exhibitions. Elizaveta Krivonogikh, 22 – also known as Luiza Rozova and now Elizaveta Rudnova – is said to be rubbing shoulders with Russian dissidents and Ukrainian artists in the French capital. 6 6 6 6 Reports say she is working at L Galerie in Belleville and Espace Albatros in Montreuil, despite being the daughter of a regime responsible for the war they oppose. Both galleries are said to be known for exhibiting anti-war art, according to outlet Meduza, citing a Russian artist. She also reportedly dropped the Putin-linked name and adopted one tied to Oleg Rudnov, a late Vlad ally - in an apparent attempt to mask her ties to the Kremlin tyrant. Her role as gallery manager includes helping organise shows and make videos, and it has seemed to spark fury among exiled Russians and Ukrainians. Artist Nastya Rodionova, who fled Russia in 2022, said she couldn't stay silent. In a Facebook post, she wrote: 'It's important to say that I believe in the presumption of innocence and that children are not responsible for the crimes of their parents. 'But with the war reaching its heights it is inadmissible to allow a person who comes from a family of beneficiaries of [Putin's] regime to come into confrontation with the victims of that regime. 'We need to know who we are working with and decide whether we are ready for that. My personal answer in this case is no.' Dmitry Dolinsky, director of L Association that controls Studio Albatros and L Galerie, defended Rudnova's role. He told The Times: 'She looks like Putin but so do 100,000 other people. I haven't seen a DNA test.' Some insiders back her, calling her a 'cultured person' and 'excellent worker'. But Rodionova hit back, warning that victims of the war shouldn't be forced to share space with anyone tied to the regime – alleged daughter or not. Rudnova's mother, Svetlana Krivonogikh, was sanctioned by the UK in 2023 and linked to Putin's inner circle by independent Russian media. She reportedly owns property worth $100million and was outed as Putin's former mistress by the Proekt investigative team. Elizaveta vanished from Russian social media shortly before the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. She once flaunted a lavish lifestyle on Instagram, posting photos in designer clothes, sipping champagne, and DJing under the name Luiza Rozova. Ukrainian TV later claimed she was living in Paris with a passport under the name Rudnova, allegedly ditching the patronymic Vladimirovna, which would confirm her father's name as Vladimir. 6 6 Born in March 2003, Elizaveta has never publicly confirmed a link to the Russian tyrant. The Kremlin has never confirmed her existence either. But the timing of her birth, her resemblance to Putin, and her mother's major financial rise have fuelled years of speculation. Kremlin critics say she is part of the hidden empire Putin has built for his inner circle and family. Officially, Putin only acknowledges two daughters, Maria and Katerina, from his marriage to Lyudmila Putina, whom he divorced in 2014. But it's long been rumoured he has more children — including two sons with former gymnast Alina Kabaeva. Who are Vladimir Putin's daughters? VLADIMIR Putin is known for keeping his personal and family life very private, but some details about the tyrant's children have surfaced over the years. Maria Vorontsova (née Putin, born April 28, 1985): His eldest, 39, leads government-funded programs personally overseen by Putin, which have received billions from the Kremlin for genetic research. She is the first of two daughters of Putin and his ex-wife, Lyudmila Putina. Maria is said to be an expert in rare genetic diseases in children, and also dwarfism, according to reports. She was married to Dutch businessman Jorrit Faassen. In 2013, the couple were living in a penthouse in Voorschoten, the Netherlands, but the following year, Dutch residents called for her to be expelled following the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 by pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine. The pair are believed to have moved the Moscow the following year. In March 2022, it was reported that the couple had split after the war in Ukraine crushed Maria's dreams of opening a money-spinning clinic for wealthy foreigners in Russia Katerina Tikhonova (née Putin, born August 31, 1986): Also daughter of Putin and Lyudmila, 38-year-old Katerina is a tech boss whose work supports the Russian government and defence industry. She started as a "rock'n'roll" dancer before moving into the world of artificial intelligence. In 2013, his daughter Katerina married Kirill Shamalov, whose father, Nikolai, is a longtime friend of the president. Nikolai Shamalov is a shareholder in Bank Rossiya, described by US officials as the Russian elite's personal bank. They were married in a secret ceremony at the Igor ski resort just north of St Petersburg. It was reported at the time that the pair rode into the ceremony on a sleigh pulled by three white horses. All the guests invited were sworn to secrecy, and the Kremlin has never confirmed that the wedding took place. "I have a private life in which I do not permit interference," Putin once said. "It must be respected." The couple had corporate holdings worth around $2 billion, according to Reuters, mainly from their large stake in Sibur Holding, a major gas and petrochemical company Kirill bought from another long-time friend of Putin, Gennady Timchenko. Kirill also bought off Timchenko's luxury villa in the seaside resort of Biarritz, southern France, estimated to be worth some $3.7m. In March 2022, the house was taken over by pro-Ukraine activists, in response to Russia's brutal invasion. But Katerina and Kirill divorced in January 2018, with Putin's former son in law rumoured to have been romantically involved with London -based Russian socialite Zhanna Volkova. After the split, Kirill was said to be forced to give up his stocks in Sibur, and he lost almost half his wealth. Their divorce settlement hasn't been disclosed but likely runs into the millions. Despite that, Kirill is still worth an estimated $800 million. Putin was reported to be "quietly grooming" Katerina to be his successor. Vlad is also rumoured to have "hidden" children, though he has never confirmed these reports. Elizaveta Rozova (aka Luiza Rozova): Elizaveta, also known as Luiza Rozova, 21, is the rumoured love child from Putin's alleged affair with a former cleaner. The daughter of Svetlana Krivonogikh, who later became a millionaire, is now a fashion designer and DJ. She often shared details from her lavish life on Instagram, until suddenly taking down the page in the wake of the Ukraine war. Speculation also surrounds his supposed secret family with Alina Kabaeva, a former rhythmic gymnast once known as "the most flexible woman in Russia". Officials have denied that he has kids with Alina, but it is reported that she is in hiding in Switzerland, avoiding any possible sanctions in the wake of the Ukraine war. A petition demanding she is thrown out by the Swiss authorities has garnered 75,000 signatures, demanding that "it's time you reunite Eva Braun with her Führer". Alina retired from gymnastics and took a strange career turn to become a Russian MP. The former athlete - dubbed "Russia's First Mistress" - the Duma, the Russian parliament in 2007, representing her alleged lover's United Russia party but left years later to pick up a lucrative job running a media company, despite having no previous experience. In April, Alina's name and picture was dramatically stripped from the website of the media empire she controlled.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin's forces strike Kharkiv with ‘most powerful' attack since start of war
A series of overnight missile and drone strikes on Kharkiv killed at least three people and injured over a dozen, the city's mayor said. Ukraine's second city was targeted by nearly 50 drones, two missiles and four guided bombs, mayor Ihor Terekho said on Saturday, adding that nearly two dozen people were injured. 'Kharkiv is currently experiencing the most powerful attack since the start of the full-scale war,' Mr Terekhov said on the Telegram app. Rescue workers continued to look for people who might be trapped under rubble. The strikes on Kharkiv came amid a massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine involving 452 projectiles, including 407 drones, the Ukrainian Air Force said. The attack targeted nearly 20 locations across the country, including Lviv, Ternopil, Kharkiv, and the capital Kyiv, damaging civilian and energy infrastructure. This was reportedly the second-largest overnight aerial assault on Ukraine since the war began. The largest such Russian attack to date on 31 May involved 479 drones and missiles. The latest attack came barely hours after US president Donald Trump warned that Vladimir Putin 's response to Ukraine's recent drone strikes on Russian airbases 'will not be pretty'. Kyiv launched a series of drone strikes on Russian airbases last weekend, dubbed Operation Spiderweb, damaging or destroying several warplanes. Russia's second-largest overnight strike on Ukraine in pictures Vishwam Sankaran7 June 2025 10:00 Russia's 2026 goals far beyond Moscow's territorial demands A map revealed by a senior Ukrainian official about the Russian military suggests Moscow intends to seize the whole of Ukraine on the east bank of the Dnipro River by the end of next year. This includes capturing the rest of unoccupied parts of Ukraine, including the Zaporizhia Oblast, all of Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Poltava oblasts as well as half of Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. Moscow's goal would require Russia to advance over 300 km (about 190 miles) from the furthest point of the international border to Kyiv City within the next 18 months, according to the ISW. Russia will have to seize nine unoccupied oblast capitals, including Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, and Poltava cities, with a pre-war population of over 5.6 million people. Vishwam Sankaran7 June 2025 09:30 Russia lowers bank interest rates for first time since 2022 Russia's central bank announced that it had lowered its key interest rate from an over two-decade high of 21 per cent to 20 per cent. This is the first time Moscow has lowered interest rates since September 2022. The step was likely taken due to increased pressure from Kremlin to project economic stability. There is already rising tension between Kremlin officials and the Central Bank over Russia's compounding economic constraints. While the Kremlin claims Russia's inflation rate hovered around nine to 10 percent, the actual figure could be closer to 20 percent as of March 2025, experts said. The latest move to reduce interest rate further could drive further economic instability and contribute to elevated levels of inflation, they said. Vishwam Sankaran7 June 2025 09:00 Ukraine testing special 'interceptor drones' to counter Russian offensive Ukraine is reportedly innovating and expanding its air defence by testing new drones that intercept other strike drones. Ukrainian forces have downed over 160 drones over Kyiv since February 2024 using these interceptor drones, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Russia is attempting to overwhelm Ukraine's air defence to inflict maximum damage and combat Kyiv's drone and counter-drone capabilities. Vishwam Sankaran7 June 2025 08:30 Areas hit by Russia's second-largest overnight missile and drone strikes Russia launched 452 projectiles yesterday, including 407 drones from Kursk and Oryol cities, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The strikes hit 19 locations, including civilian and energy infrastructure in Kyiv, Lviv, Ternopil, Chernihiv, and Kremenchuk cities. In Kyiv, Volyn, Sumy, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi, and Cherkasy oblasts were hit, according to the air force. The strikes killed at least three civilians in Kyiv alone, with the overall toll across all Ukrainian cities rising to 7. This is notably the second-largest overnight strike in Ukraine by Russian forces using drones and missiles since the start of the war. It comes after Moscow's overnight attack between 31 May and 1 June when it launched 479 total drones and missiles towards Ukraine. Vishwam Sankaran7 June 2025 08:00 Recap: Everything that happened so far on Friday At least four people and over 40 injured in a massive aerial attack from Moscow, which targeted almost all of Ukraine. Russia fired over 400 drones and more than 40 missiles in the attack. The Kremlin said the strike was in response to Ukrainian 'terrorist acts' against Russia. Ukraine's national police has said investigators are documenting 'the war crimes of the terrorist state' of Russia after three rescuers died in the attack. Kyiv completed its own drown attack on an industrial enterprise in the southern city of Engels, according to a regional governor in Russia, Roman Busargin. Busargin said a high-rise apartment block was also hit, but there were no casualties. Ukraine also reportedly destroed an Mi-8 military helicopter in a strike on Bryansk airport. Bryony Gooch7 June 2025 07:30 Toll from Russia's overnight attack rises to 3 in Kharkiv Russia's overnight attack on Kharkiv has killed three and injured over a dozen people, the area's mayor Ihor Terekhov said. Moscow attacked the Ukrainian city on Friday with drones, missiles, and KAB guided bombs, killing at least three people and injuring 17, according to officials. City's mayor said at least 40 explosions were recorded across the city during the attack by nearly 50 drones, two missiles, and four guided aerial bombs. Rescue workers are looking for those injured and trapped under rubble. Vishwam Sankaran7 June 2025 07:00 Zelensky hopes to meet with Trump at G7 in Canada Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky hopes to meet with his American counterpart Donald Trump at the G7 summit to take place in Alberta, Canada, from 15 to 17 June 15 to 17. Ukrainian officials recently visited Washington to arrange for the meeting between the two leaders, according to Andriy Yermak, head of the presidential office. The trip followed Zelensky's statement that Ukraine "wants to buy" weapons the US. "This is what the agreement is about – no gifts," Zelensky said. Turkey, meanwhile, said it planned to facilitate a meeting between the leaders of Russia and Ukraine. "I had a conversation with President Erdoğan of Turkey. And indeed, he sent a signal, asking how I would feel about a meeting of four leaders: himself, the President of the United States, Putin, and me," Zelensky said. Vishwam Sankaran7 June 2025 06:40 Russia planning to seize 'half of Ukraine' by 2026, Ukrainian official says Moscow is planning to seize half of Ukraine by the end of 2026, according to a senior Ukrainian official. However, it is unlikely to succeed as the flow of Western aid to Ukraine continues, according to Ukrainian Presidential Office deputy head Colonel Pavlo Palisa. The Ukrainian official said Russia is likely seeking to create a buffer zone along the northern Ukrainian-Russian border by 2025 end. He added that Russia seems intent on occupying the whole of eastern Ukraine by the end of 2026. A map presented by the deputy head colonel suggests Russia plans to seize about 222,700 additional square kilometres of Ukrainian territory by the end of 2026. Vishwam Sankaran7 June 2025 06:10 Moscow can provide Musk political asylum if needed, Russian official says Russia is ready to provide political asylum to Tesla titan Elon Musk if needed amid his ongoing public spat with American president Donald Trump, according to Dmitry Novikov, deputy chair of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs. "He [Musk] won't need political asylum, although if he did, Russia could certainly provide it," Novikov told Russia's state-run TASS news agency. Musk, a key figure in Trump's campaign and early administration, has been feuding openly with Trump over his "Big Beautiful Bill" tax proposal that could expand the US deficit by $600 billion. The Tesla boss has earned support from Russian officials. Vishwam Sankaran7 June 2025 05:45
NBC News
2 hours ago
- NBC News
Russian drones and missiles target Ukraine's eastern city of Kharkiv, killing 3, officials say
A large Russian drone-and-missile attack targeted Ukraine's eastern city of Kharkiv on Saturday, killing at least three people and injuring 21, local Ukrainian officials said. The Russian barrage — the latest in near daily widescale attacks by Moscow — included deadly aerial glide bombs that have become part of fierce Russian attacks in the three-year war. Kharkiv's mayor Ihor Terekhov said the attack also damaged 18 apartment buildings and 13 private homes. Citing preliminary data, he said Russia used 48 Shahed drones, two missiles and four aerial glide bombs in the attack. The intensity of the Russian attacks on Ukraine over the past weeks has further dampened hopes that the warring sides could reach a peace deal anytime soon days — especially after Kyiv recently embarrassed the Kremlin with a surprising drone attack on military airfields deep inside Russia. U.S. President Donald Trump said this week that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, told him Moscow would respond to Ukraine's attack on Sunday on Russian military airfields. On Friday, Russian strikes hit six Ukrainian territories, and killing at least six people and injuring about 80 others, Ukrainian officials said. Among the dead were three emergency responders in Kyiv, one person in Lutsk and two people in Chernihiv. Trump also said that it might be better to let Ukraine and Russia 'fight for a while' before pulling them apart and pursuing peace. Trump's comments were a remarkable detour from his often-stated appeals to stop the war and signaled he may be giving up on recent peace efforts.
