Vladimir Putin is alleged to be preparing a dynastic succession by "grooming" his alleged secret nine-year-old son for power.
The Russian leader only publicly admits to have two daughters - but is believed to have fathered six children.
According to a new claim, the 71-year-old tyrant already wants to bring his two elder daughters into power imminently to act as potential "regents" if he suffers from a health failure.
However, he is reportedly wanting to carry on ruling Russia until his undisclosed and hidden son, Ivan, turns 18 and he hands him control of the Kremlin.
Vladimir Putin is alleged to be preparing a dynastic succession according to Mark Feygin
Getty
The claims have been made by Russian lawyer, ex-MP and political pundit Mark Feygin. The 52-year-old once represented anti-Putin feminist punk band Pussy Riot.
Feygin told Ukrainian TV host Dmitry Gordon that he believes that Putin has two young sons with his long term gymnast mistress Alina Kabaeva, 40.
According to Feygin, both sons, named Ivan and Vladimir, were delivered by Swiss-based Soviet-born doctor Dr Natalia Thiebaud Kondratieva, 63, who died suddenly one year ago, four days before her role in the Kabaeva births was made public.
It comes as Putin is set to take part in a highly disputed election later this year, where he is most likely guaranteed to win.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Russian retired rhythmic gymnast and politician Alina Kabaeva is said to be Putin's 'secret lover'
Getty
Feygin said Putin is striving for: "A dynastic transfer of power within a totalitarian system."
He added: "This is important to him...In the next 12 years, he must create conditions in the system under which no one except his heirs can be at the head of the state.
"There are sons in this marriage [with Kabaeva], that’s absolutely true. This has been established and confirmed by many…She definitely has two sons…these are Ivan and Vladimir."
He said that he would have to once again tweak the Russian constitution, that currently dictates a president must be older than 35 adding: "It's the golden option. To give to his son, who will sit on the throne, even if it is some group of regents consisting of his daughters, or others…somehow they will formalise it."
Feygin suggested that Russia is too "sexist" for Putin to hand over to his two elder daughters Maria Vorontsova, 38, and Katerin Tikhonova, 37.
Putin’s two eldest daughters were with his ex-wife Lyudmila Putina, once Russia’s first lady.
Maria Vorontsova is a geneticist and expert on dwarfism, as well a leading researcher at the National Medical Research Centre for Endocrinology of the Ministry of Health of Russia.
Katerina Tikhonova, 37, a former high-kicking ‘rock’n’roll’ dancer-turned-mathematician, is director-general of the National Intellectual Development Foundation in Russia.
