Putin Pumps Iron As Approval Ratings Fall

Vladimir Putin has been showing the world he's a political heavyweight, during a photoshoot at his gym in Sochi.

The Russian President was joined by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, who looked on as his boss pumped iron to the sound of snapping photographers.

After an intensive session of lifting weights, the duo barbecued their own steaks for breakfast, and washed it down with a cup of tea.

Mr Putin has always been a fan of carefully choreographed PR stunts which prop up his masculine, rugged image.

During a visit to Crimea in the middle of August, he was photographed diving to the bottom of the Black Sea in a mini submarine to explore an ancient shipwreck.

It was a little more successful than a similar stunt in 2011, when it emerged that two ancient amphorae he had recovered while scuba diving in the Black Sea had actually been planted on the seabed for him to find.

Other daring stunts in recent years have included shooting a tiger with a tranquiliser gun, tagging a sedated polar bear, and riding a horse topless.

Mr Putin's approval rating remains high by Western Europe's standards – with a recent opinion poll showing that 72% of Russians would have re-elected him president if an election had been held this month.

However, his popularity has been in decline recently, driven by a sharp decrease in the value of the rouble, which has had a massive impact on Russia's economy.

Sanctions over Moscow's role in the Ukraine crisis and falling oil prices have also exacerbated his country's financial woes.