Vladimir Putin was caught on camera giving his rumoured successor, Alexey Dyumin, a frosty public dressing down at a glitzy Kremlin ceremony for Paralympic stars
Vladimir Putin has been spotted looking absolutely livid as he appeared to give his rumoured successor a public dressing down during a glitzy Kremlin bash. The Russian leader, 73, was caught on camera wagging a stern finger at his long-time ally and former bodyguard Alexei Dyumin.
The frosty exchange took place during what was supposed to be a celebratory awards ceremony for Russia‘s national paralympic team following the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
While the champagne flowed for the athletes, the atmosphere turned sub-zero between the president and the man many believe is being groomed to take his throne.
In the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, Putin’s face transformed from a statesman’s mask into a scowl of pure fury.
Pointing a stiff finger at Dyumin’s chest, Putin looked like a headteacher catching a naughty pupil behind the bike sheds.
Dyumin, a man literally trained to take a bullet, stood rigid, looking like he’d rather be back in the trenches than facing the wrath of his boss in front of the cameras. What sparked the Kremlin kerfuffle remains unclear.
Dyumin was appointed Secretary of the State Council in 2024 to oversee the defence industry. Rumours have reached fever pitch that he could be the chosen one, but Putin is known for reminding his proteges exactly who is still the alpha dog.
Dyumin isn’t just any suit – he’s a hard-as-nails former engineer who joined the Federal Protective Service in 1996. He has worked alongside Putin since 1999, rising to deputy head of the Presidential Security Service.
He’s also the man who once famously saved Putin from a “very smart” bear at a mountain retreat.
Previously recalling the terrifying standoff, Dyumin said: “The president was already sleeping when I got a call from the station, saying a bear is at the entrance. At first, I thought it was a joke, I went to the door, and I saw a large bear in front of me.
“The doors were made out of glass, I am armed of course, and the president is just upstairs…So, the bear and I locked eyes, he took a step back and I opened the door and discharged the entire clip of the pistol under his feet.
“The bear turned out to be very smart. He understood that I spared him, turned around and slowly wandered off. In the morning, I reported to the president, who said I did well for not shooting the bear.”
However, while Dyumin knows how to handle a grizzly, he seemingly hasn’t quite figured out how to dodge a Putin temper tantrum.
Dyumin’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric. After stints as deputy chief of the GRU (military intelligence) and Deputy Defence Minister, analyst Andrey Pertsev dubbed him the “president’s eyes and ears.”
His loyalty was rewarded with nearly a hectare of prime land and a long stint as the Governor of Tula before being hauled back to the Kremlin in 2024 to serve as Putin’s right-hand man.
But as the Milano Cortina stars looked on, it was clear that being the favourite comes with a heavy price.
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By staronline@reachplc.com (Liam Randall)
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