RUSSIA – The daughters of Russian President Vladimir Putin rarely make public appearances, but this week they took part in panels at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. Maria Vorontsova and Katerina Tikhonova, believed to be in their mid to late 30s, are Putin’s daughters from his marriage to former wife Lyudmila, whom he divorced in 2013 after nearly 30 years of marriage. Putin has said his daughters work in science and education and that he has grandchildren, but he has never confirmed their names.

Katerina Tikhonova, Putin’s daughter and the head of Innopraktika development initiative, virtually attended the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Both of them have attended the annual St. Petersburg forum in the past, but only the younger daughter, Tikhonova, has been a speaker, according to the Russian independent outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe. Tikhonova, who is a tech executive, made a video appearance on Thursday at a forum about ensuring the “technological sovereignty” of the military-industrial complex. She was listed in the forum’s list of speakers as the general director of the National Intellectual Development Foundation (NIDF). (CNN)…[+]