Vladimir Putin's annual end-of-year press conference was thrown into disarray after messages embarassing the Russian President appeared on screen.
The 71-year-old was told to "quit" in multiple messages which apearred on giant screens behind him, while he was also accused of not living the same "reality" as the rest of the country.
And in another bizarre turn during the event, an AI video of Putin even asked the President whether he used body-doubles to go about his duties.
In total about two million questions were submitted for answering, according to state media.
Vladimir Putin's annual press conference was besieged by issuesREUTERSThe annual press conference gives Russian journalist and ordinary citizens the opportunity to put their questions directly to their leader.
While Putin answered phone calls from a number of Russians, some questions submitted via SMS flashed up on screens behind the him.
With the carefully choreographed event falling about, messages which did not suit the narrative of the Kremlin started to appear among the mix.
"Don't run for another term as president," said one.
Messages undermining Putin appeared on screens behind him
REUTERS
The annual press conference gives Russian journalist and ordinary citizens the opportunity to put their questions directly to their leader
REUTERS
"Make way for the young!"
Another asked: "Why is your 'reality' at odds with our lived reality?"
A third said: "This question won't be shown! I'd like to know, when will our president pay attention to his own country? We've got no education, no healthcare. The abyss lies ahead."
Other questions appeared to criticise the war against Ukraine.
In another incident which left Putin briefly lost for words, the President was confronted with an AI-generated version of himself.
The "double" took the opportunity to put a question to Putin about artificial intelligence during an annual news conference where dozens of callers from around the country were hooked up to the president by video link.
He said: "Vladimir Vladimirovich, hello, I am a student at St Petersburg state university. I want to ask, is it true you have a lot of doubles?"
The gimmick prompted laughter among the audience in the hall with Putin in Moscow.
The question prompted a rare hesitation from Putin, already in his fourth hour of taking questions at the marathon event.
"I see you may resemble me and speak with my voice. But I have thought about it and decided that only one person must be like me and speak with my voice, and that will be me," he said.
There has been recurrent speculation, particularly in Western media, that Putin has one or more body doubles to cover for him in some public appearances because of alleged health problems.
The Kremlin had denied that and said the president's health is excellent.
