Putin faces unseen onslaught during live conference: Controversial questions sneak past Kremlin censors

The Kremlin hosted its annual press conference on Thursday, where Putin responded to a slew of inquiries. His topics of discussion included, among other things, the war in Ukraine.

About the Ukrainian counteroffensive, Putin, referred to as a dictator by some, stated that "the enemy forces have utterly failed." He claimed the defenders concentrated their actions on a "narrow area." In his view, the authorities in Kyiv are behaving "irresponsibly." He concluded his statement by saying, "I am confident of what I am doing."

British broadcaster Sky News reported an unexpected incident during the event. Behind Putin, there was a screen displaying a list of submitted questions. The censors seemingly missed and failed to remove those criticizing the Kremlin's policy.

A few of these questions included: "Do not run for another term, let the young have their turn," "When will the lives of ordinary people see actual improvement, not just in words but in actions?", and "A bad peace is better than a good argument. We should strive towards this direction. People's lives should not be the price of conflict."