Russian President Vladimir Putin’s grandson has reportedly been registered with his mother’s surname instead of his father’s family name, Zelensky, in a development that has drawn attention because of the name’s association with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to Daily Mail, the boy, Adrian, is the son of Putin’s second daughter, Katerina Tikhonova, and ballet dancer Igor Zelensky, who previously headed the Bavarian State Ballet. Despite sharing a surname with the Ukrainian president, Igor Zelensky has no family relationship with him.

Adrian was born on August 15, 2025, but his existence only became public knowledge recently, according to independent Russian news outlet Agentsvo, which reported that the child was registered as Tikhonov, the masculine form of his mother’s surname.

The registration reportedly took place 11 months after his birth, despite Russian law requiring parents to register a child’s birth within the month following delivery.

The choice of surname has attracted particular interest given Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, which has placed Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on opposing sides of the conflict.

Putin’s daughter and Igor Zelensky also have an eight-year-old daughter, Elsa, who was initially registered with the feminine form of her father’s surname, Zelenskaya. She is now believed to use her mother’s surname, Tikhonova.

Agentsvo said the reason for the delay in registering Adrian’s birth remained uncertain.

‘The reason for the delay is unclear,’ reported Agentsvo. ‘It could be related to the Putin family’s desire to conceal the birth of the president’s fourth grandchild, or to difficulties arising from the different surnames of the parents – Tikhonova and Zelensky.’

Tikhonova, 40, is a former rock’n’roll dancer who has since become a multimillionaire technology executive. She is involved in major Russian artificial intelligence developments and has reportedly played a role in sanctions-busting activities.

Her father has reportedly maintained considerable secrecy around his family. All five of Putin’s children are said to live under assumed names, while Tikhonova’s surname is derived from her maternal great-grandfather.

Tikhonova’s older sister, Maria Vorontsova, 41, is also a daughter of Putin and his former wife, Lyudmila Ocheretnaya, 68.

Putin also has two sons, Ivan, 11, and Vladimir, eight, with his partner, Alina Kabaeva, 43. The boys reportedly use the surname Spiridonov rather than Putin.

Another daughter, Luiza Rozova, 23, was born from Putin’s relationship with Svetlana Krivinogikh, 51, a former cleaner who later became a wealthy bank director and strip club owner. Luiza is reported to prefer living in Paris rather than Russia.

The Russian president also has two grandchildren through Vorontsova, one of whom is reportedly half-Dutch.

The surname Spiridonov used by Putin’s two younger sons is believed to have historical links to his paternal grandfather, Spiridon Putin, who lived from 1879 to 1965.

Spiridon Putin worked as a personal chef to Soviet Union founder Vladimir Lenin and later prepared meals for Lenin’s widow, Nadezhda, before serving Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in the Kremlin.

He had also worked for Grigori Rasputin during the tsarist era while employed at the renowned Hotel Astoria in St Petersburg. (Daily Mail)