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Playboy model from iconic Pulp album cover has chilling link to Putin

Playboy model from iconic Pulp album cover has chilling link to Putin

Scottish Sun4 hours ago

She is also known for being on the iconic cover of Pulp's 1998 album, This Is Hardcore
DO YOU REMEMBER? Playboy model from iconic Pulp album cover has chilling link to Putin
A PLAYBOY model who featured on an iconic album cover has a surprising link to Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin.
Ksenia Sobchak, 41, posed for the lads' mag in 2006 and was on the iconic cover of Pulp's 1998 album, This Is Hardcore.
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4
The presenter and politician transformed her image
Credit: East2West
4
She used to be known as a party mag in London
Credit: East2West
4
She became known for being on the cover of Pulp's album
Credit: Wikipedia
But the glamorous socialite ditched her party-ways and remade herself into a journalist and liberal politician who has been accused of being a "Kremlin stooge" by opposition activists.
She is Putin's goddaughter and the offspring of one of his first political mentors - the ex mayor of St. Petersburg, Anatoly A. Sobchak - who put him on the path to presidency.
The unlikely pair have known each other since the 1990s when her dad launched Putin's political career.
However, she has been vocal about being against the Ukraine war - and insists she helps residents of Russian border regions displaced by Ukrainian shelling.
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She and the President have reportedly have not spoken since the war began, nor seen each other.
Sobchak now works as an influencer on YouTube, interviewing critics of the war. arrests of antiwar activists.
In a conversation with her 9.5million Instagram fans about the conflict, she said: 'I believe that this is a horrific situation, but we're going to get through this time, we'll get through it together with our audience.'
Sobchak ran unsuccessfully in opposition to Putin in the 2018 election - in place of banned candidate Alexei Navalny.
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Navalny accused her of being a puppet opposition candidate to Putin - to give the illusion of democracy.
She said at the time: "In a system created by Putin, it is only possible for Putin to win.
Scheming Putin's tactics to help Iran attack the West REVEALED as Tehran vows revenge
"I am realistic about who will become the president."
Sobchak was hit by further controversy in her media career in 2022 when she was hunted by Russianpolice over claims of extortion and tax fraud.
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At the time she claimed it was a "politically motivated move" when three of her former employees were accused of trying to extort money from the head of state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec.
After fleeing cops in Moscow, she escaped to Lithuania via Belarus after police arrested her business partner.
4
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Credit: Reuters
However, after returning to Russia, Sobchak visited the Rostec office to reconcile with boss Sergey Chemezov for the "actions of colleagues" accused of extortion and said "their fate will be decided by the court".
Advertisement
When the three ex-employees were jailed for seven years, their former boss slammed the verdict as 'way more than injustice.'
'I've done everything we had agreed to get leniency [for Kirill Sukhanov, Arian Romanovsky and Tamerlan Bigayev],' she wrote in a statement.
'Why are you ruining people's lives?
'Why the disproportionality? Just as revenge?'
Advertisement
Her despair over the Ukraine war sparked a popular YouTube show in which she deals with stories that Russia's state media usually turn a blind eye to.
Her interests include the arrests of antiwar activists, violence committed by soldiers returning from the front and human rights abuses in the southern region of Chechnya.
Speaking of the Ukraine war, Sobchak said: "We are all locked in this situation now. There is no way out.'
Ksenia - who was once named the 22nd most influential woman in Russia - was the Russian equivalent of Paris Hilton in the Noughties.

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'Russian trace' suspected in Armenian clergy: Another priest faces criminal charges
'Russian trace' suspected in Armenian clergy: Another priest faces criminal charges

JAMnews

time2 hours ago

  • JAMnews

'Russian trace' suspected in Armenian clergy: Another priest faces criminal charges

Criminal charges against archbishop Adjapahyan Armenia has launched yet another criminal case against a high-ranking clergyman — Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan, head of the Shirak Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. The development comes amid the foiling of an alleged coup attempt in Armenia and the subsequent arrest of Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, head of the Tavush Diocese. The case against Adjapahyan concerns 'public calls for the seizure of power and the violent overthrow of the constitutional order.' Last week, Russian-Armenian businessman Samvel Karapetyan was arrested under the same charge. Archbishop Adjapahyan has dismissed the charges as fabricated and unlawful, yet he stands by his statements. 'I will continue in the same spirit,' he declared. For several hours, law enforcement officers attempted to detain the head of the Shirak Diocese, but were blocked by supporters gathered at the residence of the Catholicos of All Armenians in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The officers ultimately left without making an arrest. 'The National Security Service and the police of the Republic of Armenia, guided by security concerns and seeking to avoid a deliberate escalation, decided to leave the grounds of the Mother See,' a statement from the NSS explained. Meanwhile, the Catholicosate stated that the clergyman had not been properly notified of the requirement to appear before the Investigative Committee. They stressed that he was not attempting to evade the summons and attributed his absence to the crowd at the residence, which had prevented him from following the officers to their vehicle. Some time later, Archbishop Adjapahyan began walking to Yerevan on foot, accompanied along the way by a group of loyal parishioners. At the time of publication, they had not yet reached their destination. Political analyst Ruben Mehrabyan described the events as theatrical. 'They are trying to turn the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin into a shield to protect themselves from legitimate prosecution,' he told JAMnews. Call for violent overthrow of power According to lawyer Ara Zograbyan, the criminal case was initiated on the basis of an interview the clergyman gave on 3 February 2024. In the interview, the archbishop spoke of the need for a military coup to overthrow the government. He went further, stating that he had discussed the matter with former presidents Serzh Sargsyan and Robert Kocharyan. 'I said, Mr President Kocharyan, you were President of Armenia for ten years, and of Karabakh for just as long. Is there really not a single general — in the army, the police, or the NSS — who supports you, shares your ideology, and would stand with you to carry out a coup?' he said during the interview. Public debate has since turned to the question of why the investigation is only being launched a year and a half after this statement. Law enforcement searched for Adjapahyan in Gyumri, found him in Etchmiadzin Law enforcement officers initially went to detain the archbishop in Gyumri, where the Shirak Diocese is based. A search was conducted on site, and some materials were confiscated. However, Adjapahyan was not there. It was later established that the head of the diocese had travelled to the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. The clergy claimed he had come from Gyumri to hold a meeting. Representatives of Armenia's ruling party believe the archbishop was deliberately brought to the country's spiritual centre to dramatise the situation. They say this was done to provoke public reaction and encourage crowds to block his detention. 'Help, the security forces have come to the Mother See,' Vice Speaker of Parliament Ruben Rubinyan said, describing the alleged move. At midday, officers from the National Security Service arrived in Etchmiadzin. Tensions rose as soon as they appeared near the Patriarchate. A scuffle broke out between members of the clergy and security personnel. Shortly after, the head of the Shirak Diocese appeared with the Catholicos of All Armenians and said he would go with the NSS officers. 'What is happening is absolutely unlawful. But I have never gone into hiding and I'm not going to now. I don't want to give the impression that I'm hiding behind my brothers' backs,' he said. He added that he posed no threat to the country. 'The real threat sits in the government building,' he said, referring to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Supporters prevented Adjapahyan from travelling to Investigative Committee, escorted him on foot instead Although the archbishop agreed to travel to Yerevan with law enforcement, a scuffle broke out at the scene. Worshippers in Etchmiadzin blocked the cathedral's entrances and exits, preventing security forces from taking the clergyman. Adjapahyan's attempts to enter the NSS vehicle were unsuccessful Clergy members told journalists that Adjapahyan intended to report to the authorities voluntarily, but 'proud and faithful citizens' prevented him. 'No one is trying to evade an uncommitted crime,' said Archbishop Nathan Hovhannisya Expert commentary Political analyst Ruben Mehrabyan believes this is the right moment to respond to Adjapahyan's statements — not a year and a half later. He sees it as no coincidence that the criminal case was launched alongside the exposure of a coup plot in Armenia. 'As of February last year, one could have dismissed it as the irresponsible talk of an individual. But now we have material evidence showing that these statements were not merely words thrown into the air, but part of an organised network aiming to bring them to life.' The analyst asserts that the actions of the Armenian clergy show not only Russian involvement but also direct oversight and coordination: 'This is evidenced by the reaction of the Russian Orthodox Church to the arrest of Russian businessman Samvel Karapetyan. It's also shown by the fact that Karapetyan led the creation of the 'ArBat' battalion, and the Catholicos's brother gave his blessing to this 'ArBat', and so on.' ArBat is a Russian special forces battalion made up of ethnic Armenians, mostly Russian citizens. Members of the group that allegedly planned to stage a coup in Armenia were trained there. Last year, Armenia's Investigative Committee announced the dismantling of the criminal group. Returning to the case against Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan, Mehrabyan stresses: 'The state must see it through and give a criminal-legal assessment of violent acts, coup attempts, and all statements or appeals that call into question Armenia's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. Everyone is equal before the law, regardless of rank or religious office. That is the essence of the rule of law. And the state is obliged to defend and uphold that principle.' He argues that, in parallel with law enforcement efforts, the authorities must also ensure 'strategic communication with society.' According to him, this is the only effective way to counter hybrid attacks on the country. The analyst notes that Armenia is not the only state targeted by such tactics from Russia. He cites Moldova as another example: 'Strikingly, Russia uses the same tools, the same crude methods, only adjusting them to local specifics. We see the same in Moldova: Moldovan oligarchs, clergy, mercenaries, dirty money.'

Trump has Putin trapped, and the Kremlin knows it
Trump has Putin trapped, and the Kremlin knows it

Telegraph

time2 hours ago

  • Telegraph

Trump has Putin trapped, and the Kremlin knows it

It has now been almost a week since US forces struck Iranian nuclear facilities and Russia is still sitting on the sidelines. Beyond the strongly worded condemnations of the US attacks and promises of unspecified help to the Iranian people, Vladimir Putin has not announced deliveries of any specific military hardware to Tehran. That, despite the fact that, in January, Moscow and Tehran signed a 20-year comprehensive strategic partnership treaty, which includes military-technical cooperation. What gives? For now, the heat appears to have gone out of the conflict, but Putin still faces a conundrum. The Iranian regime remains in a precarious position, and it is uncertain that the current ceasefire will hold. Failing to deliver tangible support to Iran could result in Russia losing an ostensibly valuable ally, friendship with whom Moscow likes to brandish as a bogeyman whenever it wants to threaten the West. But if Putin were to decide to help Tehran re-arm, perhaps providing new air defence systems to replace the ones destroyed over the past few months, it would likely anger Donald Trump, who may decide to beef up supplies of lethal aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia. In an interview with the Russian publication The Gazette, Fyodor Lukyanov, prominent Russian political scientist, revealed the thinking behind Putin's decision to do nothing. 'Russia has a strategic partnership with Iran, and very fragile and significant relations with the American administration have begun to develop.' In addition, however, Putin has working relations with the Israeli leadership. Making a choice was 'clearly not part of the Kremlin's plans,' he said. Indeed, a realpolitik-minded Putin maintained cordial relations with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, a fellow pragmatist, until former US president Biden caused a rift between Moscow and Tel Aviv by pressuring Israel to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine. Putin has long maintained a careful balance between Iran and Israel, by keeping an open partnership with the ayatollahs and an undeclared alliance with Israel. He views both as strategically valuable to Russia's geopolitical influence in the Middle East. Putin's decision calculus is also shaped by the fact that Israel has one of the largest Russian-speaking populations outside of Russia. The transactionally-minded Russian strongman is carefully threading the needle by paying lip service to Tehran via a diplomatic song and dance. Before the strikes, Putin offered to Trump to mediate an end to the hostilities between Israel and Iran, an offer that the US leader promptly rebuffed. A day after the strikes, having met with Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister, in the Kremlin, Putin promised to make 'efforts from our side to provide support to the Iranian people,' without authorising the provision of specific war-fighting capabilities. Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesperson, responding to questions from journalists about the kind of assistance Russia was willing to provide to Iran, was equally cryptic and non-committal: 'Everything will depend on what Iran will need.' When pressed on whether Russia is ready to supply weapons to Iran, including the S-300 and S-400 air defence systems, Peskov repeated 'everything depends on what the Iranian side, what our Iranian friends say'. On Monday, during the annual St Petersburg international economic forum, Putin tried to justify Russia's neutral stance on the conflict by saying 'almost two million people from the former Soviet Union and the Russian Federation reside in Israel,' calling it an almost Russian-speaking country'. He accused those who call Russia an unreliable ally of being 'provocateurs'. Some Russian media outlets have sought to portray Putin's decision-making as having nothing to do with Washington. But others have revealed concerns about Trump's potential retaliation. One publication expressed fears that, if the Israel-Iran ceasefire holds, Trump will have leverage to pressure Putin on a Russia-Ukraine settlement. Putin's decision not to directly aid Iran – at least for now – is especially significant in light of the fact that Iran sent substantial deliveries of weapons to Russia for its war against Ukraine. They include short-range or close-range ballistic missile systems, the Fath 360 missile system, and 'kamikaze' drones, Shahed-136 and Shahed-131. Iran's assistance enabled Russia to reserve more advanced missiles with longer ranges for other purposes, allowing Moscow to better use its arsenal throughout the battlefield in Ukraine. Lack of reciprocity by Moscow suggests that Putin is gravely concerned about the possibility of US ratcheting up support to Ukraine. It also indicates that Trump is quietly building a deck of cards to play against Putin when the time is right. Perhaps they will help him to finally fulfil his promise of ending the Russia-Ukraine war. Rebekah Koffler is a strategic military intelligence analyst, formerly with the US Defense Intelligence Agency. She is the author of 'Putin's Playbook', Regnery 2021. Her upcoming book 'Trump's Playbook' will be published later this year. Rebekah's podcast Trump's Playbook is running on her channel Censored But Not Silenced and is available on most social media platforms @Rebekah0132.

Playboy model from iconic Pulp album cover has chilling link to Putin
Playboy model from iconic Pulp album cover has chilling link to Putin

Scottish Sun

time4 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Playboy model from iconic Pulp album cover has chilling link to Putin

She is also known for being on the iconic cover of Pulp's 1998 album, This Is Hardcore DO YOU REMEMBER? Playboy model from iconic Pulp album cover has chilling link to Putin A PLAYBOY model who featured on an iconic album cover has a surprising link to Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin. Ksenia Sobchak, 41, posed for the lads' mag in 2006 and was on the iconic cover of Pulp's 1998 album, This Is Hardcore. Advertisement 4 The presenter and politician transformed her image Credit: East2West 4 She used to be known as a party mag in London Credit: East2West 4 She became known for being on the cover of Pulp's album Credit: Wikipedia But the glamorous socialite ditched her party-ways and remade herself into a journalist and liberal politician who has been accused of being a "Kremlin stooge" by opposition activists. She is Putin's goddaughter and the offspring of one of his first political mentors - the ex mayor of St. Petersburg, Anatoly A. Sobchak - who put him on the path to presidency. The unlikely pair have known each other since the 1990s when her dad launched Putin's political career. However, she has been vocal about being against the Ukraine war - and insists she helps residents of Russian border regions displaced by Ukrainian shelling. Advertisement READ MORE ON PLAYBOY 'HARASSMENT' Women's Euro 2025 star who turned down Playboy flooded with pics of naked men She and the President have reportedly have not spoken since the war began, nor seen each other. Sobchak now works as an influencer on YouTube, interviewing critics of the war. arrests of antiwar activists. In a conversation with her 9.5million Instagram fans about the conflict, she said: 'I believe that this is a horrific situation, but we're going to get through this time, we'll get through it together with our audience.' Sobchak ran unsuccessfully in opposition to Putin in the 2018 election - in place of banned candidate Alexei Navalny. Advertisement Navalny accused her of being a puppet opposition candidate to Putin - to give the illusion of democracy. She said at the time: "In a system created by Putin, it is only possible for Putin to win. Scheming Putin's tactics to help Iran attack the West REVEALED as Tehran vows revenge "I am realistic about who will become the president." Sobchak was hit by further controversy in her media career in 2022 when she was hunted by Russianpolice over claims of extortion and tax fraud. Advertisement At the time she claimed it was a "politically motivated move" when three of her former employees were accused of trying to extort money from the head of state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec. After fleeing cops in Moscow, she escaped to Lithuania via Belarus after police arrested her business partner. 4 Russian President Vladimir Putin Credit: Reuters However, after returning to Russia, Sobchak visited the Rostec office to reconcile with boss Sergey Chemezov for the "actions of colleagues" accused of extortion and said "their fate will be decided by the court". Advertisement When the three ex-employees were jailed for seven years, their former boss slammed the verdict as 'way more than injustice.' 'I've done everything we had agreed to get leniency [for Kirill Sukhanov, Arian Romanovsky and Tamerlan Bigayev],' she wrote in a statement. 'Why are you ruining people's lives? 'Why the disproportionality? Just as revenge?' Advertisement Her despair over the Ukraine war sparked a popular YouTube show in which she deals with stories that Russia's state media usually turn a blind eye to. Her interests include the arrests of antiwar activists, violence committed by soldiers returning from the front and human rights abuses in the southern region of Chechnya. Speaking of the Ukraine war, Sobchak said: "We are all locked in this situation now. There is no way out.' Ksenia - who was once named the 22nd most influential woman in Russia - was the Russian equivalent of Paris Hilton in the Noughties.

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