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Video Shows Putin Out And About In Moscow Amid 'Bunker' Reports
A Kremlin video released on May 11 shows Vladimir Putin driving in Moscow and meeting his former schoolteacher, appearing to rebut Western reports that he spent weeks in underground bunkers. The bunkering claims circulated in the run-up to the May 9 Victory Day parade, which Putin marked with remarks about ending the conflict in Ukraine, while Kremlin officials dismissed the reports as nonsense.
Why It Matters
The video is presented as a rebuttal to sensational bunker claims, influencing perceptions of Putin's accessibility and the censorship/propaganda environment surrounding the war in Ukraine.
Timeline
3 Events
Kremlin releases video showing Putin in Moscow and meeting Vera Gurevich
May 11, 2026
The Kremlin released video late on Monday showing Putin driving in central Moscow behind the wheel of a Russian-made Aurus SUV, entering a hotel lobby with a bouquet to meet his former schoolteacher Vera Gurevich, exchanging greetings and small talk, and inviting her to Moscow's Red Square parade; The video also depicts him helping Gurevich into his vehicle before driving her to dinner at the Kremlin.
Putin vows victory in Ukraine at scaled-back Victory Day parade
May 9, 2026
On May 9, 2026, Putin said he thought the war in Ukraine was coming to an end, hours after he had vowed victory at Moscow's most scaled-back Victory Day parade in years.
Bunker reports circulate in run-up to May 9 parade
May 2026
Western media outlets cited a European intelligence report claiming Putin spent weeks holed up in underground bunkers and suggested tightened security around him; Kremlin officials questioned the report's origin as part of the run-up to the May 9 Victory Day appearance.