Sevastopol: Russian President Vladimir Putin rode a motorcycle with the Night Wolves bikers in Crimea on Saturday while massive anti-government protests took place in Moscow.
The Protest:
On Saturday, Moscow had witnessed the biggest political protest in recent years, denouncing the exclusion of opposition and independent candidates from the Russian capital's city council ballot.
According to the report, they were confronted by phalanxes of riot police and the arrest-monitoring group in which 136 people were detained.
The President took the ride as part of an annual bike show in Crimea that was organised by the Night Wolves.
The Night Wolves are considered to the close ally of Putin and also vehement supporters of Russia's annexation of Crimea.
The Night Wolves:
The Night Wolves are closely connected with the Russian special service and also provided separatist fighters for Donetsk and Luhansk, Ukraine, and were deployed to the cities of Luhansk and Kharkiv.
At the time of the annexation of Crimea, the Night Wolves took part in the storming of the gas distribution station in Strikolkove and the Ukraine Naval Forces Headquarters in Sevastopol.
The leader of the Night Wolves Alexander Zaldostanov who is also known as 'The Surgeon' was awarded the Russian Medal of Honour in 2013.
Speaking to a crowd of motorcycle fans in Sevastopol, the president complimented the Night Wolves for setting a great example to the country's youth.
