Russian President Vladimir Putin spent his vacations in the Siberian wilderness. The Kremlin released some pictures of the trip, where Putin is seen shirtless fishing and enjoying some outdoor activities.

Coincidently, President Donald Trump is also on vacation, although unlike his Russian counterpart, he chose to stay mostly indoors at Trump National Bedminster, a golf club in New Jersey.

Image Credit: Alexey Nikolsky. AFP/Getty Images
Image Credit: Alexey Nikolsky. AFP/Getty Images

The 64-year-old Russian president is known for his publicity stunts in which he’s seen as a tough man, and they have contributed to his high popularity ratings.

Putin went hunting underwater and sunbathed during his vacations in Siberia

The vacation comes eight months before Russia celebrates its next presidential election in March. While Putin has not announced his candidacy yet, he’s expected to run and to win another term.

Putin’s trip, which included a hunting and fishing expedition, took place on August 1, in the Republic of Tyva in southern Siberia, on the border with Mongolia about 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) east of Moscow.

The Kremlin released pictures and video footage of Putin during his expeditions, and he appears spear-fishing, swimming and sunbathing with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Image Credit: Alexey Nikolsky. AFP/Getty Images
President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Image Credit: Alexey Nikolsky. AFP/Getty Images

“The water in the lake doesn’t get warmer than 17 degrees, but this didn’t stop the president from going for a swim,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday, according to Reuters. “He went hunting underwater with a mask and snorkel… The president chased after one pike for two hours, there was no way he could shoot it, but in the end, he got what he wanted.”

The vacation comes just days after the U.S. Congress approved a new set of sanctions against Russia for Moscow’s interference in the 2016 U.S. Election.

The sanctions were not met with excitement by the Russian government. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said that the bill showed a trade war had been declared against Russia and said the Trump Administration demonstrated “complete impotence, in the most humiliating manner, transferring executive powers to Congress.”

White House renovations before Trump comes back from working vacation

Meanwhile, as President Trump enjoys his 17-day working vacations, the White House is getting some renovations done. The administration announced the West Wing is being renovated and some of the work being done includes structural repairs to fix a ceiling leak, HVAC work and repairs to the South Portico steps on the South Lawn.

Some renovations will include the Navy Mess Kitchen, the West Wing lower lobby, the IT system and some other generic cosmetic upgrades such as fresh paint, and new carpets and curtains. A White House official also confirmed the East Wing would undergo some infrastructural improvements.

The President had to recently deny that he called the White House a “real dump” after he was quoted saying that to members and staffers at the Trump National Golf Club, according to a Sports Illustrated article.

“I love the White House, one of the most beautiful buildings (homes) I have ever seen. But Fake News said I called it a dump – TOTALLY UNTRUE,” tweeted the President in response.

Source: Reuters