The Kremlin took down unedited video after just four minutes – but the internet managed to save it first

A video from the Kremlin briefly appeared online late on March 8 before quickly disappearing.

Within minutes, the footage was replaced by a shortened version, but not before it was noticed and shared elsewhere.

According to The Moscow Times and the independent Russian outlet, Meduza, the Kremlin press service published the 6-minute-19-second recording on its official Telegram channel. In the video, Putin reads a prepared message congratulating women and then asks to start again.

“You know, let me say it again, because… I had a sore throat. I had a sore throat, yes. I almost started coughing,” he says in the recording.

For roughly half a minute, the president repeatedly clears his throat before beginning the message again from the start.

Video quickly removed

According to TGStat data, the original video remained on the Kremlin’s Telegram channel for about four minutes before it was deleted and replaced with an edited version.

Russia’s Defense Ministry Telegram account also reposted the unedited footage but removed it almost immediately afterward.

The pro-Kremlin outlet Readovka similarly published the clip briefly before taking it down.

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Poll shows decline

The video surfaced as new polling suggested a drop in public confidence in Putin.

An open survey released by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) indicated that trust in the president has reached its lowest level since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2026.

Only 32.1% of respondents named Putin when asked who they trust to handle major government responsibilities.

The figure had reached 48.8% in March 2024 but has since fallen significantly.

Sources: TGStat, Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM)

This article is made and published by Jens Asbjørn Bogen, who may have used AI in the preparation