On Wednesday night, however, Russian television broadcast images of the president meeting dozens of people during a trip to Derbent, a city in the Russian Caucasus. Putin agreed to pose to be photographed, shook hands and even kissed a girl on the head.
“There was an incredible demonstration of support and joy from the people of Derbent,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov enthused on Thursday.
“The president could not refuse to go to meet the people,” he added.
The scene, from which AFP could not verify the degree of spontaneity, it was released when the authorities are trying to show that Putin is still in command and enjoys the support of the army and the population.