Putin makes first general public appearance in weeks
Russian President Vladimir Putin has made his 1st public appearance in weeks of coronavirus lockdown to celebrate the country's national day.
He used the Russia Moment holiday to promote a good controversial reform of the constitution that could keep him in business office until 2036.
Mr Putin, 67, has dominated Russia for the past twenty years whether as president or perhaps prime minister.
Moscow lifted lockdown curbs this week despite a huge number of infections.
But there was misunderstandings as the mayor of the administrative centre, Sergei Sobyanin, urged persons to stay at home during Friday's getaway and another on 24 June, which marks victory in World War Two.
About 510,000 persons have tested positive for coronavirus in Russia, the third-highest number of instances in the world after the US and Brazil. Russia features recorded 6,705 deaths amid accusations of under-reporting by the authorities.
Where has President Putin been?
His last public overall look was on 9 May when he attended a Success Day ceremony - the original parade has been postponed until 24 June. Since that time he had been operating from his country residence outside Moscow.
Flanked by allies, this individual attended an open-air flag-increasing ceremony in western Moscow on Friday.
In his speech, he urged Russians to carefully turn out and vote for the constitutional reform in a referendum on 1 July, saying he was sure that an "absolute majority" of Russians backed it.
The reform would effectively allow him to are a symbol of two more conditions as president after his current six-year term expires in 2024.
Putin critics have accused the authorities of trying to bribe Russians to carefully turn out for the vote.
The town of Moscow, for example, is planning to give away shopping vouchers to those that vote, justifying the offer as a motivation to boost consumer demand after lockdown.
Georgy Alburov, a great ally of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, said the mayor of Moscow had failed to support small businesses through the lockdown but could "find a lot of funds if he has to lure in persons to 'polling stations' to affirm Tsar Putin", Reuters news agency reports.
Russia, want many countries, possesses been suffering acute monetary hardship as a result of its lockdown, which began towards the end of March.
Amid growing unemployment, there were signs of growing disillusionment with the Kremlin.
