Putin’s estranged ‘goddaughter’ moves to Israel, gets citizenship — report

By ToI Staff 9 April 2022, 9:04 pm

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Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Ksenia Sobchak during his meeting with opposition candidates who ran against him in Sunday, March 18, 2018's presidential election, at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on March 19, 2018. (Yuri Kadobnov/Pool Photo via AP)

Ksenia Sobchak, who is believed by many to be Russian President Vladimir Putin’s goddaughter, has obtained Israeli citizenship, according to the Haaretz daily.

Sobchak is a prominent television host in Russia, and ran against Putin in the country’s 2018 presidential election.

According to the report, the 40-year-old, who has said she has partial Jewish heritage, secured Israeli citizenship for herself and her young son. She has reportedly been in Israel since early March.

Last month, she reportedly said she was on a “planned vacation” in Israel, and denied she was emigrating anywhere.

In a social media post today she said she is currently in Russia, and that the reports of her obtaining Israeli citizenship are part of Putin’s “propaganda machine,” but did not deny them, according to the Daily Mail.

Sobchak is the daughter of Putin’s political mentor Anatoly Sobchak, but she has said she isn’t the Russian president’s goddaughter.

Presidential candidate Ksenia Sobchak votes in the Russian presidential election in Moscow, Russia, on Sunday, March 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Denis Tyrin)

She opposed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from the start, stating on February 24, “We the Russians will be dealing with the consequences of today for many more years.”