Russia’s Putin, wife announce divorce

Russian President Vladimir Putin and his wife Lyudmila Thursday, June 6, announced their divorce after 3 decades of marriage, in a stunning revelation that ended years of speculation about their union. The pair, who has two daughters in their late 20s, made the announcement side-by-side in a joint interview with state television after watching a ballet performance inside the Kremlin. Persistent rumors have swirled for years around Putin’s marriage and even alleged mistresses but until now there has been a total taboo over discussing his private life in mainstream Russian media. “It was a joint decision,” Putin said in the interview with Rossia-24 television which appeared to have been carefully choreographed in advance.

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