Nikolai Peskov, the 33-year-old son of Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, told the privately owned newspaper that he had served in Ukraine, a rare, public example of the son of a senior Russian officer fighting in the war.
“It was on my initiative,” Peskov, whose father has served as Putin’s spokesman since 2008, said in an interview. “I considered it my duty.”
He said that he had completed his contract for less than half a year under a false name to hide his real identity. The newspaper said that he had received a medal for bravery.
When asked about his father’s views on his service, Nikolai said: “I think he is proud of me. My father tells me I made the right decision.”
