Russian officials hand in their watches before meetings with Putin
This has been reported by the Russian opposition project “We Can Explain”, citing two sources familiar with the situation. According to the project’s sources, the ban on mobile phones has been in place for some time. However, around mid-April, wristwatches – both electronic and mechanical – were added to the list. It was noted that officials who had recently met with Putin were indeed not wearing watches.
Who was spotted without a watch
Among those mentioned by the project:
- Yevgeny Pervyshov, Governor of the Tambov Region;
- Artem Zdunov, Head of Mordovia;
- Sergei Kogogin, head of KamAZ.
According to journalists, they regularly wear watches in everyday life and at other official events. For example, Sergei Kogogin was spotted without a watch during a meeting with Putin, although he was wearing one during a meeting with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
What is being written about Putin himself
According to sources, the new rules do not apply to people in Putin’s inner circle. At the same time, the Russian president himself has also started to remove his watch during private meetings. Journalists claim that during one of his meetings with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, Putin allegedly forgot to do so and was seen on video covering his wrist with his hand.
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