Vladimir Putin's state visit to Mongolia this month including meetings with shamans to get their blessing for the use of nuclear weapons, according to a report.
In an article for German publication Der Speigel, independent Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar said there were rumors from Kremlin sources about why the Russian president would visit a country not considered high on Moscow's list of geopolitical priorities.
Ahead of his arrival on September 3, when he met Mongolian leader Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, reports focused on whether Ulaanbaatar, which is heavily dependent on Russia for gas, would arrest Putin and extradite him to The Hague to stand trial for war crimes, as requested by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
It was Putin's first visit to an ICC member since it issued the warrant 18 months ago linked to the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia during the ongoing war.
Putin attended celebrations marking the 85th anniversary of the Soviet-Mongolian victory over imperial Japan in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol.
But in noting that it was the Russian leader's third visit to the country in a decade, Zygar wrote that "the reason is the shamans," referring to religious practice that involves a practitioner interacting with the spirit world.
"Vladimir Putin has long been known for his special attitude to mysticism. And apparently he combines his interest in Orthodox mysticism with pagan traditions," wrote Zygar, the founding editor of the independent Dozhd television network, which is banned in Russia and operates in exile in the Netherlands.
"In Moscow, a rumor is now circulating that Putin needs the blessing of shamans for the use of nuclear weapons. Without their consent, he could not dare to take such a serious step for fear of upsetting the spirits. And he reportedly returned from Mongolia satisfied."
One of Putin's former speechwriters, Abbas Gallyamov, said that he had heard rumors about Putin's links to shamans and that as well as "receiving a blessing for the use of nuclear weapons ['weapons of the gods'], Putin was also interested in the issue of his own longevity, as well as reincarnation."
"They say that he was very pleased with the meeting and the rituals performed," Gallyamov wrote on Telegram. Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin for comment.
In his article, Zygar noted that Mongolia and Tuva, the Russian republic where Putin visited before his trip to Ulaanbaatar, are considered the epicenter of the most powerful shamans in the world.
The Russian leader previously vacationed in Tuva with his former defense minister, Sergei Shoigu, who is from the republic, and the pair have said to have taken part in shamanistic rituals, wrote Zygar, whom Russia has declared a foreign agent and been sentenced in absentia for allegedly spreading false information about its military.
In October 2023, Kara-ool Dopchun-ool, who is considered the "supreme shaman" of Russia, told state-run RIA Novosti that he predicts that Putin's war against Ukraine will not cause a nuclear war. However, he warned Kyiv's allies that the West must "come to its senses" regarding its opposition to Russia.
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