Complete speculation, imo.fwiw.
It would not surprise me if there were/are imposters, OR, P had cosmetic work (done in advance just prior to the invasion) and disguising/hiding it under a facial prosthetic piece.
Feb 2020
Putin denies conspiracy theory that he uses body double | Vladimir Putin News | Al Jazeera
'
'One of the more elaborate theories compares photographs of Putin over the years, claiming to have identified a number of different individuals posing as him.''
''Asked “Are you real?” by the interviewer, Putin replied, “Yes,” before going on to deny that he uses a lookalike for public appearances for his own safety.
But he said he had been offered the opportunity.
“I declined these body doubles.
This (the offer) was during the most difficult periods of the fight against terrorism,” Putin said, adding that he was referring to the beginning of the 2000s.''
2015
Vladimir Putin's face has changed dramatically through the years | Daily Mail Online
March 1, 2022
I get paid to be a Vladimir Putin impersonator – but now I fear for my life (nypost.com)
''When asked what he would say to Putin should he meet his dopplegänger face to face, Sobola said: “I would ask him to look at me and think how you can have the same face but perceive the world differently.”
2015 rbbm.
The very scary reality behind the silly rumors of Putin’s death - Vox
''Rumors that Putin is ill or injured arise with some regularity. "These sort of rumors happen all the time," Thoburn told me. "Is Putin sick? Is he this, is he that? Did he have plastic surgery?"
In
2012, Putin canceled and postponed foreign trips for more than a month.
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said Putin had suffered a spinal injury during a judo bout, and there were rumors that he was seriously injured.''
''The rumors may not be true, but that does not mean they are irrelevant. They speak to Russians' nervousness about what would happen if Putin really were to become incapacitated. Because power is so centralized around him, there is no fallback plan for what would happen if he really were to suddenly become unable to rule. A system of government that rests on the health of a single man is very fragile, and that fragility — that weakness — is frightening.''