Russian President Vladimir Putin was seen with the Russian “nuclear football” while attending the funeral of a far-right politician, on Friday, according to multiple media outlets.
Putin, according to a video clip seen by The Eastern Herald online magazine , was accompanied by a man in a black suit who was carrying a briefcase containing the codes needed to authorize a remote nuclear attack.
The farewell to #Russian ultra-nationalist Vladimir #Zhirinovsky began in #Moscow. pic.twitter.com/9rkTXXvORe
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) April 8, 2022
A report by the British newspaper The Independent indicated that the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was emptied of mourners, as the Russian leader paid his respects to the ultra-nationalist, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, amid fears that Putin was subjected to an assassination attempt.
At the open casket, Putin picked up a bundle of roses, placed them at the bottom of the coffin, and then made the sign of the cross. There were no armed guards standing next to the coffin when it approached the coffin, according to the newspaper.
Putin triggers fears of nuclear war after showing up to funeral with secret case https://t.co/xhz4wOri9x pic.twitter.com/YGYm5xswQg
— New York Post (@nypost) April 8, 2022
“For Vladimir Putin, the hall in which people bid farewell to Zhirinovsky was completely empty of mourners – even relatives on chairs,” Telegram channel VCHK-OGPU said.
Similar to the nuclear football carried by the president’s military aides in the United States, the Russian nuclear briefcase, known as the “cheget ,” is designed to be within reach of the president at all times. It is believed that a similar portfolio accompanies the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff.
Vladimir Zhirinovsky was a far-right politician and head of the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party. He died of Covid-19, 15 weeks after predicting the date of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
