Traber claimed ongoing Putin contact before arrest; ties to 90s Petersburg

Ilya Traber, a criminal authority with historical ties to Putin from 1990s St. Petersburg, allegedly told associates he met Putin in Moscow for New Year 2024, shortly before his July arrest. The claim is sourced to two unnamed sources via Project, and unverified. This matters as it suggests potential ongoing informal connections between Putin and figures from his early political network, though the reliability is low.