Putin’s ‘lover’ Alina Kabaeva, 38, reappears in Moscow following reports she was in hiding

Vladimir Putin’s alleged mistress who is rumoured to be the mother of his “secret family” has been spotted in Moscow following reports she was in hiding.

Russian retired rhytmic gymnast and politician Alina Kabaeva has been spotted in Moscow following reports she was in hiding. Picture: Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images.

Vladimir Putin’s alleged mistress has reappeared with a “new look” following reports she was hiding in a Swiss bolthole or a Siberian nuclear bunker.

Olympic gold-medallist Alina Kabaeva, 38, was this week spotted at a junior rhythmic gymnastics rehearsal in Moscow.

Pictures showed her at the city’s VTB Arena ahead of the annual Alina Festival charitable event to take place on Saturday.

The images immediately sparked speculation in local media that she appeared to have recently used Botox and fillers.

Russian Cosmopolitan said “something has really changed in Kabaeva’s face”, adding that “the legendary athlete was noticeably prettier”.

Avoiding linking her to Putin, it said: “Alina Kabaeva is one of the most mysterious and secretive women in our country.

“The gymnast almost never appears in public, does not (appear in) social networks, and it is not possible to accidentally see her on the street or in shopping centres.”

Telegram channel Tol’ko Nikomu – also choosing its words carefully to avoid the Russian censor – hinted that she and Putin share the same cosmetic injector.

“A new rare appearance of Alina Kabaeva. This time she is dressed casually – and is again seen with a wedding ring.

“And yes, the handwriting of the family beautician is quite notable.”

Russian retired rhytmic gymnast and politician Alina Kabaeva has been spotted in Moscow following reports she was in hiding. Picture: Sasha Mordovets/Getty Images.

Alina Kabaeva (second from the left) pictured at the rehearsal of her sports festival Alina 2022 in VTB Arena, Moscow, this week

A TV version of Kabaeva’s festival will be broadcast on the eve of Russia’s 9 May Victory Day commemoration marking the end of the Second World War.

It is believed Putin will use that date to declare some kind of victory in Ukraine, possibly claiming he has seized the entire Donbas for Russia.

Unlike two of Putin’s adult daughters – Maria and Katerina – media mogul Kabaeva, who controls a significant segment of the pro-Kremlin Moscow media, has avoided Western sanctions.

Putin’s foe Alexei Navalny has demanded sanctions against her.

He singled out Kabaeva’s National Media Group arguing that it was likely owned by Putin – who will be 70 this year.

Her salary in Russia has been estimated to be almost £8 million (A$14m) a year, compared with the average annual figure of £5,600 (A$9880).

Navalny posted from jail: “I want to remind you that the National Media Group, which owns the lion’s share of this apparatus of lies, undoubtedly belongs to Putin personally, and as such is even formally headed by Putin’s mistress Alina Kabaeva.”

He called for her to be treated as a “war criminal”.

Kabaeva has kept a low profile in the Ukraine war.

Earlier, she ignored the lurch towards war when she was caught on video in December dancing in Moscow, her last public appearance until this week.

There has been speculation that she and her supposed secret young family with Putin had been hiding either in Switzerland or in one of several high-grade bunkers in the Urals, Arctic or Siberia.

A petition demanding she was thrown out by the Swiss authorities garnered 75,000 signatures, demanding that “it’s time you reunite Eva Braun with her Führer”.

She was first linked romantically to Putin in 2008 when she was a pro-Kremlin MP.

The newspaper that printed the story was rapidly closed down.

Putin – who in 2013 announced his divorce from wife Lyudmila, a former Aeroflot stewardess – has previously said: “I have a private life in which I do not permit interference. It must be respected.”

He deplored “those who with their snotty noses and erotic fantasies prowl into others’ lives”.

Kabaeva is on record as saying she had met a man who “I love very much”, gushing: “Sometimes you feel so happy that you even feel scared.”

In 2001 Kabaeva was temporarily banned from competing in rhythmic gymnastics after failing a doping test.

A year earlier she had won gold at the 2000 summer Olympics.

Once regarded as Russia’s most eligible woman, her only other suitor has been a married Georgian policeman, according to media reports.

This relationship petered out in 2005 amid complaints of tabloid intrusion into her life.

She once posed partially naked for Maxim and was described as “full of sex” by a photographer.

Alina Kabaeva and Vladimir Putin at an event in the Kremlin

There have been many sightings of her wearing a wedding ring, but no records of a marriage.

She is reported to have a fleet of Maybach limousines at her disposal, and was seen surrounded by a squad of machinegun toting security guards on visits to a Moscow cafe, indicating she may qualify for state-level security.

Many Russians saw her as the reason for the break-up of Putin’s marriage to ex-first lady Lyudmila, 63, mother of his two adult daughters.

The dictator of neighbouring Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko hinted that Putin’s divorce came about because Kabaeva “put pressure on the president”.

From 2018 she disappeared from the public eye for almost three years, amid suspicions she had given birth to twins at a Moscow hospital.

Tabloid Express Gazeta recounted in May last year – when she was still out of sight – that she had “literally vanished.

“After the giving-birth-to-twins reports nothing was heard about Kabaeva, as if she had disappeared.

“Alina is not giving interviews, nor attending social events, nor participating in any TV programs.

“One can only guess what is happening in her private life.”

In her only statement linked to the war, Kabaeva slammed the banning of the Russian team to compete at the Beijing Paralympics.

“There has never been a more shameful page in the history of world sports,” she said.

“They did not worry and did not remove from the competition any country that participated in the destruction of hundreds of thousands of civilians in Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, and Syria.

“But sports officials were very angry when Russia decided to protect the Donbas and Luhansk from the Nazis.”

She complained that Olympic officials “tried so hard to humiliate the Russians, banned our symbols, flag and anthem”.

But still Russians succeeded “due to the talent of our athletes,” she added.

“Russia was, is and will be a great sports power – and you can’t do anything about it.”