Putin issues chilling warning to 'scum traitors' in strange rant about oysters and gender

17.03.2022 - 12:41 / dailyrecord.co.uk

Vladimir Putin sent a warning to oligarchs and the West in televised address that brought up oysters, gender and midges.

The Russian president spoke on television yesterday nearly three weeks after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

He touched on "scum traitors" that would be spat out like a "midge that flew into their mouths."

The speech served as a rallying cry to the Russian public as Western sanctions pressure the Russian economy and domestic protests still carry on, The Mirror reported.

Putin claimed the West would use "those who earn their money here, but live over there" as a "fifth column" designed to divide Russian society.

"I do not judge those with villas in Miami or the French Riviera," the 69-year-old said.

"Or who can't get by without oysters or foie gras or so-called 'gender freedoms.'

"The problem is they mentally exist there, and not here, with our people, with Russia.

"The West will try to bet on the so-called fifth column, on traitors... to divide our society.. to provoke civil confrontation... to strive to achieve its aim. And there is one aim - the destruction of Russia."

Putin, who has passed laws tightly controlling the speech of his people and press freedoms, then continued his rant by suggesting the West was bent on imposing sanctions on his country.

He claimed "they just don't want a strong and sovereign Russia".

The speech coincides with claims that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is stalling, with the besieged force holding ground and even pushing back against the aggressors in areas today.

It also comes as the Russian economy sinks further into the red, with the Russian government - and firms such as Gazprom, Lukoil and Sberbank - potentially about to default on $117m in interest payments.

The freezing