Russian President Vladimir Putin sunbathes during his vacation in the remote Tuva region in southern Siberia. The picture taken between August 1 and 3, 2017. (AFP Photo/Sputnik/Alexey Nikolsky)
MOSCOW — Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, who loves to cultivate a virile man-of-action image, was shown on Russian TV Saturday spear-fishing in a camouflage wetsuit, piloting a powerboat and catching some rays while on a Siberian holiday.
Putin’s affinity for the tough guy pose has been documented with shots of him bare-chested on horseback, diving in a submarine in Lake Baikal — the world’s deepest — and flipping a Judo opponent.
These latest images, provided by the Kremlin, captured his two-day stay in the remote Tuva area of southern Siberia.
Putin “fished in a waterfall near a mountain lake, indulged in underwater fishing, sunbathed, went rafting in mountain rivers, piloted… motor boats, went hiking and four-wheeler riding in the mountains,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu fish in the remote Tuva region in southern Siberia. The picture was taken between August 1 and 3, 2017. (AFP Photo/Sputnik/Alexey Nikolsky)
The images broadcast on public television, which insisted on “the physical fitness of the president,” show Putin catching a pike in a camouflage wetsuit or sunning his bare torso with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who is originally from the region.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Editionby email and never miss our top stories
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L), accompanied by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, gestures as he fishes in the remote Tuva region in southern Siberia. The picture was taken between August 1 and 3, 2017. (AFP Photo/Sputnik/Alexey Nikolsky)
His trip comes days after Putin said the US would have to cut 755 diplomatic staff in Russia and warned of a prolonged gridlock in its ties after the US Congress backed new sanctions against the Kremlin.
Putin’s previous made-for-TV exploits, however, have not been without controversy. During a 2011 dive in the Black Sea he allegedly discovered two 15th century amphoras, but the find was mocked in independent media because the vessels were suspiciously without algae or other sea life.
Peskov admitted several months later that the scene had been staged.
Advertisement
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
