Vladimir Putin was left red-faced after trying to catch out one of his top officials during a Kremlin meeting.
The Russian President interrupted a presentation by Alexey Likhachev, the Head of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, accusing him of leaving out an important infrastructure project.
Putin smugly interjected, pointing out what he thought was an error on a map the official had shared with him.
“Your presentation lacks the Northern Latitudinal Railway project. It needs to be displayed,” Putin said, confident he had spotted a mistake.
Watch the full video below:
However, Likhachev remained composed and quickly corrected him, calmly explaining that the project was clearly marked.
“The Northern Latitudinal Railway 1 extends from Nadym to Obskaya, and the Northern Latitudinal Railway 2 continues from Obskaya to Sabetta,” Likhachev pointed out.
Putin, visibly confused, reviewed the map before realising his error.
Despite his initial misstep, Putin ordered Likhachev to highlight the railway further, though the official mentioned that budget cuts had slowed down its development.
This exchange happened during a broader presentation where Likhachev shared details about Rosatom’s successes, including a 24 percent revenue increase.
Despite Western sanctions and economic pressures from the war in Ukraine, Rosatom has secured contracts globally, including deals with Turkey, China, and India.
The corporation now employs over 400,000 people and is responsible for Russia’s nuclear energy and infrastructure projects, as well as its powerful nuclear arsenal.
Likhachev’s presentation also touched on plans to increase Russia’s reliance on nuclear power, aiming for 25 percent of the country’s energy needs to come from nuclear sources by 2040.
