Former economic development minister, Aleksei Ulyukayev, who was detained two weeks ago and charged with accepting a $2 million bribe, is watching the address from home, opposition figure Aleksei Navalny tweets.
Putin: "Citizens have united around patriotic values" in order to overcome serious problems facing the country.
Putin: Says he will speak about economy, social issues, and domestic policy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has entered the St. George Hall in the Kremlin to deliver his 13th state-of-the-nation address to the Federal Assembly.
Chairman of the Federation Council Commission on Information Policy Aleksei Pushkov tweeted that Russian presidential speech “is taking place during a major shift in world politics.”
“The shift is in our favor. Obama’s course to ‘isolate' Russia has failed,” Pushkov tweeted.
Today President Vladimir Putin will give his 13th address to the nation. His shortest speeches lasted 48 minutes (years 2004 and 2005). In 2009, he gave his longest speech that lasted one hour and 40 minutes.