Vladimir Putin has told Sky News that he is "not concerned" about recent mass protests calling for him to resign.
The Russian Prime Minister spoke exclusively on the campaign trail in Tomsk, Siberia as he tries to secure his victory in the upcoming presidential election.
"Protests? What protests?," he joked when asked if he thinks the demonstrations will affect his chances of success. "I am not concerned. I think about the people - the ordinary people of Russia."
"Of course I see the protest groups and I think about what I can do with all of our citizens."
After 12 years dominating Russia's political scene, in the midst of a legitimacy crisis, this is Mr Putin's first campaign tour that really matters.
While in Tomsk, he visited a university where about 100 students eagerly waited to speak with the prime minister.
The next generation of voters have formed a large part of the recent mass protests against his rule.
But Mr Putin had little to worry about on this trip - as with any campaign trail it is stage managed to the last detail.
For over three hours he charmed the fawning teenagers, deftly handling each pre-approved question. They showered him with tame, parochial problems - it became a bit like 'Vlad'll Fix It' as he pledged to solve individual housing and health issues.
None of the students asked about the recent mass protests or his popularity slump but Mr Putin chose to address opposition claims of authoritarianism.
He said: "Our country is open. We are not a dictatorship and hopefully never will be again. We have an open and free economy, open country as a whole."
With only five weeks until the election, most presidential candidates would be trumpeting a trip like this one - but Mr Putin's team told Sky News it was a low-key visit.
This is perhaps a reminder that despite the protests, he remains peerless: he simply does not actually have to try that hard. It could also be a sign that he recognises that in the current climate his usual macho antics would not sit well.
Flattery goes into overdrive as one fan oddly compares Mr Putin to Steve Jobs and asked how he copes with such a demanding role.
The Russian leader replied that doing a job you love helps - a job that few could argue is in any real jeopardy.
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