Multiple outlets report that a child described as Vladimir Putin’s alleged grandson has registered or uses his mother’s surname to avoid bearing a father’s surname that resembles or matches “Zelensky,” referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The reports say the child is not related to Zelensky and frame the issue around name registration rather than family ties.
The Jerusalem Post says the dancer uses his mother’s surname because it aligns with Zelensky’s surname, while also stating there is no relationship to the Ukrainian president. Times of India similarly reports that the grandson was registered under his mother’s surname due to the father’s surname resembling Zelenskyy’s. The Daily Mail reports the boy—named “Adrian”—was born in August 2025 and that his use of his father’s surname is restricted, presenting it as part of a newly emerged investigation.
All accounts connect the naming controversy to the Russia-Ukraine war context that includes Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, though they differ in how much background they provide and how they characterize the circumstances of the surname change.
