A clip has emerged online showing Russian warlord Vladimir Putin kissing a copy of the Quran during his visit to Chechnya this week, as Ukraine continues its shock cross-border incursion.
Putin also met with Chechen leader and attack dog Ramzan Kadyrov, with whom he visited the newly constructed “Prophet Jesus” mosque in the capital, Grozny.
There the Kremlin leader was presented with a gold-encrusted copy of the Holy Quran, before planting a kiss on it for the cameras.
The purpose of the unscheduled trip to the Muslim-majority country was to encourage military volunteers training there before being sent to the Ukrainian frontlines, as Russia continues to suffer appalling losses.
Although Russia does not release figures on the subject, western officials believe 1,200 Russian soldiers were being killed or wounded every day in May and June, the highest rate since Putin's invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Putin's Chechnya trip came as Ukraine's shock advance in the Kursk Oblast region rolled on, with Zelensky's troops Ukrainian forces now reported to have captured hundreds of square miles of territory.
The lightning attack began on August 6, with Kyiv's army smashing through the border in Ukraine's Sumy region into enemy territory.
The bold move, which has forced Russian authorities to evacuate over 100,000 people, has prompted anger and confusion in Moscow.
Ukraine also launched a massive drone attack on Moscow in the early hours of Wednesday morning, as part of a larger aerial bombardment of Russia by Ukrainian UAVs.
It was part of a larger aerial bombardment of Russia by Ukrainian UAVs, with the Kremlin claiming to have shot down a total of 45 drones.
The Kremlin claimed its defenses shot down 45 drones in total. Meanwhile, Russia's army continues its advance on the key cities of Torestk and Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region.
On Tuesday, Russia's army claimed to have captured a small town called New York, as part of its push towards the two cities.