KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — A Polish man is afraid for his safety due to his close resemblance to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Slawek Sobala, 53, said he had been feeling tense since Putin gave the order for a “special military operation” in Ukraine and fears the Ukrainians in his hometown Wroclaw, along with other anti-war protesters, will turn on him and threaten his safety, Daily Star reported.
“Before the war I was not afraid for my safety on the street, but now when the war started, when Putin attacked Ukraine, I am a little afraid because in our town Wroclaw, there are a lot of people from Ukraine who work and live here,” he reportedly said.
“There have been many times that these people told me I look like Putin, and now because of the war I am a little afraid that these people could be angry or aggressive when they see me.”
Sobala, who runs a transport company, has been earning a side income as a Putin lookalike for eight years.
Before the war, Sobala said he had a lot of respect for Putin.
“Because of the war with Ukraine my perception of Putin changed,” he said.
“I had a lot of respect for him but now I think that this man did a lot of harm and I do not know today how I will play his role in the future,” he said, adding that he supports Ukraine.
