Pro-Putin protesters today staged a demonstration close to the British Embassy in Moscow as the Kremlin revealed its fury at Sir Keir Starmer’s criticisms of the dictator at the UN.
The UK premier had accused Putin of treating his own citizens like “bits of meat to fling into the grinder” in Ukraine.
Putin had caused “colossal human suffering”, he said at the security council session in New York.
“I wonder how Russia can show its face in this building,” he said.
In a quick-fire response, handpicked loyalist protesters were sent out in Moscow to attack Britain over the war in a sign that Sir Keir had hit home and stung the 71-year-old autocrat.
The supposedly “spontaneous” protest included “hundreds” of Moscow “residents”, said Izvestia, a newspaper controlled by Putin’s lover Alina Kabaeva, 41.
Yet demonstrators with noticeably bored faces carried surprisingly similar slogans on their hastily made posters.
Six scripted messages included “England is an accomplice of Ukrainian Nazis” and “England is a sponsor of terrorists”.
“Your weapon kills peaceful civilians,” said some banners, as others read: “England should take responsibility.”
Their leaders insisted that the Donbas should be part of Russia.
Moscow is a city where most protests end in jail, including those against Putin, indicating that this was arranged by the authorities – and choreographed.
Often protestors are paid to attend such events.
Members of the Young Guard of United Russia – a youth wing of Russia’s most sycophantic political party – and ‘Volunteer Company’, a fanatically patriotic grouping, provided the protesters at this rally, it emerged.
They also protested outside the US embassy.
Sir Keir had needled Putin by declaring: “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is illegal. It threatens global security. And it has caused colossal human suffering.
“Over 35,000 civilians have been killed or injured, six million forced to flee and almost 20,000 Ukrainian children forcefully deported. Kidnapped, to put it bluntly.”