Get you up to speed: Putin insists ‘I’ve never been afraid of anything’ | News World
A Ukrainian drone strike in the Tatarstan region, over 680 miles from the border, resulted in at least 13 fatalities. This incident underscores the ongoing intensification of conflict, drawing the war in Ukraine closer to Russian territory.
Vladimir Putin’s recent tour has included visits to multiple regions, reflecting a strategy to restore his waning public support amid ongoing economic challenges and the Ukraine conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that a potential mobilisation of up to 500,000 soldiers may occur after September’s parliamentary elections, contingent upon logistical stability and external sanctions.
Vladimir Putin remains publicly defiant despite declining domestic popularity and ongoing economic challenges, asserting during a regional tour that nothing can shake him. Following a drone attack in Tatarstan, which resulted in 13 fatalities, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of increased mobilisation efforts by Russia post-election, potentially involving 300,000 to 500,000 soldiers, amidst public discontent against such measures.
What remains unclear — It is uncertain how the proposed mobilisation of up to 500,000 soldiers will be received by Russian society given the evident opposition to such action.
Putin claims he has never been afraid of anything during public appearance
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 gave a defiant response when asked about his stance on the rising threats facing Russia.
The 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 typically tries to put on a tough 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 topic of AI came up.
Putin asked one of the young people: ‘What kind of threat does artificial intelligence pose to us?’
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The young scientist replied: ‘I’ll be honest with you, you’ve got nothing to be afraid of.’
To this, Putin responded: ‘And I’ve never been afraid of anything.’
However, he also suggested AI could turn people’s brains into mush, and divide the intellectual elite and from people who ‘press the buttons’ without thinking, First Post reports.
Putin’s popularity has been falling due to the struggling domestic economy and the protracted Ukraine war with no end in sight (Picture: EPA)
The 73-year-old said: ‘And their grey matter gradually shrinks, like shagreen leather. Boom-boom, press the buttons, and everything pops out.’
In recent months, Putin has made appearances in the Russian regions of Tatarstan, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Buryatia, Omsk, and Irkutsk.
His absence from public life in the spring raised questions about his health and whereabouts after he was not seen for more than two weeks after Easter.
Then, at Russia’s annual Victory Day parade in May, the president appeared with a puffy face and swollen cheeks, prompting questions about his wellbeing.
In a further blow to the Russian leader, a Ukrainian drone managed to slip through defences and made its way deep into Russian territory on Monday night.
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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