Vladimir Putin has been mocked for wearing ear protection headphones upside down as he inspected a shooting range to avoid mussing his hair.
The Kremlin dictator stood alongside his close ally Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov as they watched Kadyrov’s son Adam, 16, who is in charge of his father’s security, show off his shooting skills.
But Russian blogger Rustem Adagamov posted: ‘Why does Putin put headphones on his head like this at the shooting range?
‘Because his hairdo is a long procedure, when the hairdresser has to style the sparse hairs so that it is not visible that the Russian president is already completely bald. And headphones will ruin all the beauty.’
Other critics derided Putin for attending a shooting range in Grozny, the capital of Chechnya, rather than supporting troops on the frontline where his country has recently been invaded by Ukraine.
Putin’s visit to Chechnya came amid rumours of health problems for father-of-15 Kadyrov, 47, a leader who strongly supports the war in Ukraine and is sanctioned by the West over human rights abuses.
Kadyrov has appointed multiple members of his family, including his sons and daughters from at least three relationships, to key positions in his government.
Some reports have said Kadyrov is terminally ill from ‘pancreatic necrosis’ and requires regular treatment in the Kremlin Clinic in Moscow.
His son Adam, despite being only 16, enjoys the role of favourite child and even crown prince.
His position has been further boosted by Putin attending the shooting range and applauding him for his shooting ability.
The boy is also curator of Vladimir Putin Russian University of Special Forces in Chechnya.
Yet war commander Major-General Apti Alaudinov, 50, a Chechen native, is also seen as a likely Putin appointee as head of the region if Kadyrov falters.
Alaudinov is currently playing a leading role countering the Ukrainian incursion of Kursk region.
Kadyrov has boasted that he has sent 43,500 fighters, including 18,000 volunteers, to the war against Ukraine, and has more ready.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE : Putin rocked by kamikaze drone attack on massive oil depot
MORE : Russia is urging people to stop using dating apps in areas hammered by Ukraine
MORE : Putin rattled after Moscow ‘under attack from biggest ever drone strike’
Get your need-to-know
latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.