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Daughter of Putin Mentor Says She Will Run for Presidency

Ksenia Sobchak, the daughter of Vladimir Putin’s political mentor, Anatoly Sobchak, released a video on October 18 announcing that she intends to run for the presidency of Russia.

Sobchak, a socialite and journalist, wrote a letter outlining the reasons for her decision. She said that her campaign would fight against “how our political and social life is organized today” and that she was “beyond” rigid ideological frameworks and not bound to any political party.

Her long-mooted candidacy was dismissed by the prominent opposition activist Alexei Navalny. He called Sobchak a laughing stock and a Kremlin stooge. Sobchak has denied she is a “spoiler” candidate. She said that if Navalny, who was sentenced to 20 days’ prison on October 2, were to get on the ballot, she would withdraw. Credit: instagram/Xenia Sobchak via Storyful