Putin 'to become dad again' at 69

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo / AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to become a father again, according to reports.

The 69-year-old is said to be expecting a daughter with his ex-gymnast lover Alina Kabaeva, 39, with whom he is alleged to have fathered two children with in recent years.

Putin will be welcoming a girl, according to the General SVR Telegram channel – an internet account said to be updated by Kremlin insiders.

Russia's Alina Kabaeva. Photo / AP

It's claimed that when told of the news, Putin said, "I have enough children as it is, and had enough daughters long ago."

While Putin's private life is kept top-secret, the UK Mirror reported Kabaeva gave birth to a son at a clinic in Switzerland in 2015. And she reportedly welcomed twins in Moscow in 2019.

Putin's more well-known children include academic and businesswoman Maria Vorotsova, 37 and scientist and former dancer Katerina Tikhonova, 35, who he had with ex-wife Lyudmila.

Since the start of Russia's War in Ukraine, both have been dealt sanctions from the west.

The notoriously tight-lipped Putin previously announced about his family, "I have a private life in which I do not permit interference. It must be respected."

He put on notice "those who with their snotty noses and erotic fantasies prowl into others' lives".