Vladimir Putin was sworn in as the President of Russia for the fifth term – with a motley crew of guests attending his glitzy ceremony.
The pompous inauguration was boycotted by the US and other Western countries on Tuesday over the war in Ukraine.
But many guests were eager to be seen with the 71-year-old Russian leader despite criticism of his authoritarian antics.
The hand-picked guest list included US actor Steven Seagal and motorcycle gang leader Alexander Zaldostanov known as ‘The Surgeon.’
The Surgeon, called Khirurg in Russian, is the leader of the Night Wolves bikers’ club, a pro-Kremlin group supportive of Putin.
He is known for his homophobic views and admiration of ruthless Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, according to The Telegraph.
He was spotted arriving at the exclusive inauguration ceremony in the Grand Kremlin Palace, dressed in leather with his recognisable long hair and the gang’s logo on show.
The biker leader is a known friend of Putin’s.
After a bromance that is thought to have started in 2009, Putin awarded Zaldostanov the prestigious Order of Honour state medal which emboldened the biker and his gang as Putin’s unofficial henchmen.
His friendship with the president and support of Russia’s tactics in Ukraine awarded him a place on the Western sanctions list.
The Surgeon earned his nickname after training and becoming a doctor specialising in post-traumatic face surgery in Soviet Moscow.
