Putin says he had Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin told Russians on Wednesday he had received the domestically-made Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, as officials try to encourage people to get vaccinated amid a wave of cases.

The Kremlin had previously said that Putin, 68, received a two-dose vaccine in March and April, but it gave no further details and did not release images of him getting it. That lack of publicity came under the spotlight this month as officials complained about the of slow uptake for COVID-19 shots, which are readily available, and began trying to coax and compel people to get inoculated.