- Putin fan Larisa Sergukhina had asked Russian President for a photograph
- When they posed up for a selfie, Putin planted a kjiss on her forehead
- Putin is currently on the campaign trail ahead of April’s presidential election
Vladimir Putin is on the charm offensive ahead of next month’s presidential elections in Russia.
Last week, the Russian President, 65, surprised supporters at campaign event by kissing a female fan as they posed for a selfie.
Putin planted a kiss on Larisa Sergukhina’s forehead after a concert intended to drum up support for him at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow.
From Russia, with love: Putin kisses a female supporter as she took a selfie at an election campaign event in Moscow
The event on 3rd March gathered celebrity performers including popular rapper Timati, 34, and Eurovision Song Contest runner-up Polina Gagarina, 30.
After the show was over Putin agreed to have some photos taken with his supporters, one of which got more attention in Russian media than the event itself.
Onlookers were gobsmacked when Putin kissed admirer Ms Sergukhina on the forehead as she took a selfie.
Some online commentators even suggested that the man on the photo must be one of the Russian leader’s rumoured lookalikes, as it is hard to imagine the normally reserved Putin himself doing something so frivolous.
Great Russian Bake Off: President Putin visits the Samara baked goods and confectionery factory in Samara, Russia while on the campaign trail
One said: ‘It’s so dangerous act to do for such an important person, I think his bodyguards were shocked watching this.’
Another, clearly also a fan of Putin, added: ‘She is an Internet star now! I want a selfie with the president as well! I’m jealous!’
Putin is the favourite to win the presidential election on 18th March, though if no candidate gets more than half the votes cast a second round will be held on 8th April, with less popular candidates removed from the ballot slip.
Putin is running as an independent. His opponents include Pavel Grudinin of the Communist Party and Vladimir Zhirinovsky of the liberal LDPR party.