Vladimir Putin is using fake body doubles according to artificial intelligence which has revealed some have less than a 50 per cent match.
Following rumours that the Russian president had become unwell or was even dead, many suggested that doppelgangers may have been used during public engagements.
It was claimed Putin had suffered a cardiac arrest in Moscow on October 26, according to Telegram channel General SVR.
An inside source alleged that the Russian had become unwell, but this was denied by the Kremlin.
Further unconfirmed reports also claimed the Russian leader had died.
With a background in the intelligence service, Putin is no stranger to tactics that would catch out assassins, so some experts suggest the use of body doubles is a possibility.
An artificial intelligence was used by Japanese TV network TBS to examine his facial features as well as the way he moved.
The investigation found there was only a 53 per cent match for the person who inspected the Kerch Bridge, in Crimea, a year ago.
The same technology also revealed that it was Putin who was at the Red Square Victory Day parade last May.
Speaking about the person at the Kersh Bridge, TBS said: "Experts on face recognition would refer to this as ‘not matching’ in most cases, which leads us to the assumption this could be a double."
Tests were also carried out on other Putin appearances including at Mariupol in March which had just a 40 per cent match.
TBS added: "Expert analysis is clearly displaying the high probability of at least two body doubles."
Tests were also carried out on other Putin appearances including at Mariupol in March which had just a 40 per cent match
Reuters
Prof Anthony Glees, security and intelligence expert at the University of Buckingham said photos of Putin over recent months show him looking "entirely pokerfaced, he can't really move his face at all - which is a symptom of Parkinson's disease".
"I think we will know very soon," he told the Mirror.
"If he has died then the Kremlin will be trying to manage the transition in a seamless and smooth way, so what we can expect over the days ahead are more leaks, more denials, but a gradual sight of rearranging the furniture, slowly beginning to look different.
"We’ll start to hear of other things going on."