Russian President Vladimir Putin has another grandson whose birth was kept out of the public eye for more than a year, according to an investigative report published in Russia.
One detail in the family story has drawn particular interest: the baby's father has the surname Zelensky, just like the Ukrainian president, against whom Putin has been waging a prolonged war.
The details were revealed by the independent Russian news outlet Agentstvo, which reported that Katerina Tikhonova, Putin's second daughter, gave birth to a son named Adrian on August 15, 2025.
The baby's father is Igor Zelensky, 57, a ballet dancer and artistic director who previously headed the Bavarian State Ballet in Germany. Despite sharing a surname, he is not related to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to the investigation, Adrian's birth was officially registered only 11 months after he was born, although Russian law requires babies to be registered within a month of birth. The registration documents list the baby as Adrian Tikhonov, rather than under his father's surname.
The choice is particularly notable in light of another detail revealed in the investigation: the couple's eldest daughter, eight-year-old Elsa, was registered at birth under the surname Zelenskaya, the feminine form of Zelensky. According to the report, she apparently later began using the surname Tikhonova.
Tikhonova, 40, is a former dancer and is now considered a senior figure in Russia's technology sector. According to reports, she is involved in artificial intelligence projects and technology initiatives related to Russia's efforts to contend with international sanctions.