Putin's Spokesman's Son: Ukraine War Veteran Or Traffic Violator?

Vladimir Putin's spokesman’s son claims to have served in Ukraine with Russia's Wagner mercenary force, while many factors do not add to the story.

What Happened: Dmitry Peskov’s son Nikolai Peskov, in an interview with Russian media, claimed he served for nearly six months in the Ukraine war and received the Medal for Courage.

"I considered it my duty… I couldn't sit on the sidelines and watch friends and other people go there," Nikolai's said in an interview with the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda, CNN reported.

"When I went there, I had to change my last name. Nobody really knew who I was."

Meanwhile, Ukraine-based Ukrainska Pravda has pointed out that many things indicated that Peskov never went on the battlefield in Ukraine.

The outlet, citing Latvia-based Russian independent news website Meduza, reported that fines were issued on a Tesla car belonging to Peskov at a time when he was allegedly fighting in Ukraine.

The report added that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Wagner Group, admitted Peskov’s son to the private military company “using forged documents, changing his last name, first name and patronymic.”

The news outlet reported, according to the anonymous Telegram channel VChK-OGPU [the name comes from the punitive political body of Soviet Russia], Nikolai's Tesla Model X until the end of March 2023 violated traffic laws on July 24 and Nov. 6 — the same time as he was supposedly fighting in the war.

On the Telegram channel, individuals who are or were gunners in the Russian mercenary have stated that Nikolai was not seen “at the Soledar or Bakhmut fronts.” Meanwhile, his friends also told VCHK-OGPU that he had not disappeared for a prolonged period.

Benzinga could not independently verify the claims.

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Did Putin Spokesman's Son Really Fight In Ukraine? Report Of Tesla Traffic Violations Raises Questions