There has been so much hype, shock, and translation excitement about President Putin bashing the EU leadership with some sort of swine reference that the actual site of the leader of Russia presented a detailed explanation as to what he could have meant by this comment. For clarity and for your curiosity we have posted this info below…

«подсвинки» – as “swine underlings”.

“Swine underlings” is a phrase that could be interpreted a few ways, depending on the context. It’s not a standard English term, so its meaning is largely derived from the words themselves. Below you can really see the power of the Russian language in action with all of its deep and varied meanings. The Presidential Administration used DeepSeek, the famous AI chat bot, to help them in this breakdown. Here are the most likely interpretations:

Mythological / Fantasy Context (Most Common)

This evokes the imagery of a powerful sorcerer or demon who transforms minions or disobedient humans into pigs or pig-like creatures.

· Classical Reference: The most famous example is Circe from Homer’s Odyssey, who turned Odysseus’s men into swine.
· Modern Fantasy: In games, books, or movies, a villain might have ranks of brutish, pig-like humanoids as their foot soldiers. These would be literal “swine underlings.”

Gaming / Boss Battle Context

In video games, especially RPGs or action games, it’s common to face a main boss who is supported by weaker, repetitive minions.

· A “Swine Boss” might be a large, powerful pig-like monster.
· Its “swine underlings” would be the smaller, weaker pig-creatures you fight before or alongside the boss. They are often seen as disposable cannon fodder.

Metaphorical / Insulting Context

This is used as a derogatory term to describe a group of people perceived as inferior, brutish, or blindly loyal to a despised leader.

· “Swine” implies they are filthy, gluttonous, or immoral.
· “Underlings” implies they are low-ranking, subservient, and lack independent thought.
· Usage: “The dictator was surrounded by his swine underlings, who carried out his every cruel decree.”

Possible Typo or Mishearing

Although DeepSeek entertains the idea that Putin misspoke, it is clear from the video that he has had enough of the EU’s dangerous Russophobic policies.