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Putin
Putin
The Kremlin has vehemently denied claims that President Vladimir Putin is being shielded from the true extent of Russia's problems, following a viral accusation by a prominent social media influencer.
Viktoria Bonya, a reality TV personality and social media influencer well-known across Russia for her appearances, alleged this week that unidentified top officials were deliberately withholding the truth from President Putin.
Her viral video, which amassed over 20 million views, 1.4 million likes, and 75,000 comments on Instagram, listed five key issues she believed were being concealed, even as she expressed her support for the Russian leader.
Responding to Bonya's assertion that Putin, who has ruled Russia as either president or prime minister since 1999, was not fully apprised of domestic challenges, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov firmly rejected the idea on Friday.
"No. It is not so," Peskov stated. "Putin is the head of state, and his powers means he deals with the widest range of issues on the agenda."
This denial follows the Kremlin's unusual public acknowledgement on Thursday of Bonya's sharp critique, indicating that efforts were already underway to address a slew of problems she had identified.
In response, Bonya released a new video, bursting into tears of joy, where she thanked the Kremlin for its attention and declared she was "of and with the Russian people".