Putin says ‘I’ve never been afraid of anything’

Russian president Vladimir Putin put on a brave face during his popularity tour of Russia despite economic woes and the war in Ukraine (Picture: AFP/Getty Images)

Vladimir Putin was quizzed about his stance on the rising threats facing Russia,sparking a defiant response from the president.

The Russian president,whose domestic popularity has been in freefall,is touring the vast country in an apparent attempt to claw some of it back.

Putin,who likes to portray a tough guy public image,insisted nothing can shake him during questions from young teachers and students in Novosibirsk in south-central Russia.

During conversations with the next generation of scientists,the thorny topic of AI came up.

The drone struck more than 680 miles from the border in the Tatarstan region,killing at least 13 people.

Attacks inside Russia stemming from its war against Ukraine spill the conflict deeper onto Putin’s doorstep,risking his popularity even further as the country’s citizens are subjected to the horrors of the fighting.

Meanwhile,Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News that Putin aims to mobilise up to 500,000 soldiers after the Russian parliamentary elections in September.

Zelensky said: ‘He wants to increase mobilisation. Not openly,because he is afraid of his society,but he will do it at the beginning of October,if we don’t cause him problems with logistics,weapons,petrol,diesel,and if our partners don’t impose total sanctions for his aggression.

‘It will be a big problem because he will aim to mobilise from 300,000 to 500,000 people. It’s not that difficult for him to mobilise this number. He will have internal questions about it,because his society is – and I saw the polls – against mobilisation.’

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