Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic athlete, is chairwoman of the board of directors for the Kremlin-backed TV and newspaper giant National Media Group. Photo / Getty Images
Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic athlete, is chairwoman of the board of directors for the Kremlin-backed TV and newspaper giant National Media Group. Photo / Getty Images
All mention of Vladimir Putin's alleged "secret lover" has been scrubbed from the Russian media empire she helps run.
Alina Kabaeva, a former Olympic athlete, is chairwoman of the board of directors for the Kremlin-backed TV and newspaper giant National Media Group (NMG).
The 38-year-old is widely believed to bethe Russian President's secret girlfriend and the mother of the pair's four children.
Now it appears NMG has made the decision to remove all mention of her from their website, in a suspected effort to avoid the wrath of Western sanctions over Kabaeva's rumoured personal connection to Putin, according to the Daily Mail.
Kabaeva is one of the few people in Putin's inner circle who hasn't yet been hit by sanctions in response to Russia launching an invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Previously, the NMG website featured the name and picture of Kabaeva alongside the other board of directors – now that has been completely removed.
Alina Kabaeva, aplauds as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (not pictured) delivers his speech at the congress of the United Russia Party November, 27, 2011 in Moscow, Russia. Photo / Getty Images
The 38-year-old was given the senior board position in 2014, despite apparently lacking any previous experience in the media or business industry.
Her salary in this role is reportedly $14.25 million.
Russia's Opposition leader Alexei Navalny took to Twitter on Wednesday to call for sanctions against the media group, which he claims "no doubt" belongs to Putin.
"I would also like to remind you that the National Media Group, which owns the lion's share of this lie machine, no doubt belongs to Putin personally, which is why it is even formally headed by Putin's mistress Alina Kabaeva," he wrote.
"Most drastic measures should be taken to make the work of these Goebbels heirs more difficult.
"From a complete ban on the supply and service of equipment, to searching for their assets in the West (which undoubtedly exist) and putting them on visa blacklists."
Navalny claimed warmongers "should be treated as war criminals", including editors-in-chief, talks show hosts and news editors.
NMG has played a key role in defending Putin's actions following the invasion of Ukraine, often explaining away Ukraine's allegations of war crimes as mere propaganda.
'Lover' allegedly hiding in Switzerland
Last month, reports emerged that Putin was allegedly hiding Kabaeva and their children in Switzerland.
"While Putin carries out his assault on Ukraine, Ukrainians, attacking innocent citizens and causing a refugee crisis, his family is holed up in a very private and very secure chalet somewhere in Switzerland – for now, at least," a source told the New York Post.
However, there is no independently verified evidence that she is in the country.
This prompted a petition created by opponents of Putin in Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, calling for Kabaeva to be removed from the country.
"Despite the current war, Switzerland continues to host an accomplice of Putin's regime.
"For the first time in modern history, your country (Switzerland) has violated its neutrality, which it did not even do vis-a-vis Nazi Germany in the 20th century, and joined the sanctions against Putin and his surroundings.
"And now you are allowing his favourite mistress and her children to hide within the borders of your state."
