Putin's Defiant Year-End Vow: 'Russia Will Never Back Down'

Online skeptics, including pro-Ukrainian bloggers, have raised suspicions that Russian President Vladimir Putin's New Year speech was computer-generated, citing irregularities around his neck and the lower resolution of the video compared to previous years. American-Ukrainian Igor Sushko and others shared clips suggesting Putin's head appeared to float above his suit. These claims add to ongoing rumors about Putin's health and the use of body or digital doubles, which the Kremlin has consistently denied. The issue was even highlighted during Putin's annual Q&A when he was confronted with an AI version of himself, prompting him to assert that he has no doubles.