Rare Photo of Putin's Daughter Published

A photograph of a woman believed to be the second daughter of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been published. Putin assiduously keeps the private lives of his two daughters Maria (29) and Yekaterina (28) out of the limelight.

U.K. media said Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny last Thursday posted a photo of a woman on Facebook page named Katerina Vladimirovna Tikhonova, who heads an organization working with Moscow State University and, he claims, is in fact Yekaterina Putin.

A day earlier, Russia's RBC reported that Tikhonova heads a US$1.7 billion project to expand the university's research center. Reuters also cited a university official as saying Tikhonova is Putin's daughter.

Russian political blogger Oleg Kashin said Tikhonova used to be a dancer and even took part in competitions.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov declined to comment, saying he "works with Putin and not his daughters." But absent a strong denial the story is likely to be true.

There were rumors in 2010 that Yekaterina Putina was about to marry a Korean, but there was no confirmation.