Russian press quiet about Putin’s babymama and new son

The New York Post is reporting that Vladimir Putin’s girlfriend, Russian gymnastics champion Alina Kabaeva, has given birth to Putin’s first son in Moscow.

Kabaeva, 26, has been rumored to be Putin’s main squeeze since her retirement from gymnastics in 2006. (The Post also says Kabaeva won 18 World Championship and 2 Olympic medals, making her the most decorated gymnast in history.) She reportedly named the boy Dimitry. A paper that reported Putin’s split from wife Ludmila last year quickly shuttered, and news of Kabaeva’s having a child nor Dimitry’s “presumed” paternity has not been reported by any major Russian media outlets.

While Putin is careful about information leaks regarding his personal life, an analyst said that the news may not be all that harmful:

“…one analyst told us, “Putin is very careful about his public image. Still, considering Russia’s Muslim population is about 30 million, it might not hurt him politically to have a beautiful, half-Muslim wife.”