VLADIMIR Putin poses with rippling muscles as his soldiers storm the US Capitol building – this is Russia’s fantasy for 2024.
The pictures feature in a “cringeworthy” calendar released by an organisation linked to Vlad’s vicious FSB spies celebrating all things Russian.
The bizarre calendar is supposed to be a money-raiser for veterans of Vlad’s secret service.
Each month’s image ranges from deranged to embarrassing – with the headline act being the sketch of Putin as a ripped bodybuilder.
The cover shows the dictator wearing his threatening ‘Z’ war emblem, portraying him as an Arnold Schwarzenegger-style action man.
Pudgy and sickly Vlad is seen with bulging, veiny arms as he poses in front of a large black truck.
Meanwhile the its picture for November 2024 sees Russian soldiers assaulting the US Capitol in Washington DC.
The building is under assault from a Russian Lancet kamikaze drone and Ka-52 attack helicopter as an FSB special forces officer stands guard brandishing his Kalashnikov assault weapon.
The month is an interesting choice for this image as it coincides with the US presidential election on November 5.
And the last election in 2020 ended in violence when Donald Trump supporters attempted to storm the Capitol Building on January 6.
The calendar depicts multiple images of the FSB special forces in numerous bizarre situations.
One is seen cuddling a cat, while another is seen hugging a woman, and a further image has trooper carrying a child clutching a teddy bear.
One depicts a snarling Russian bear and the message: “It’s not important who is against you, it’s important who is with you!”
Another shows the FSB special forces officer with a smiling Cheburashka, a big-eared fairy tale creature popular in Soviet times.
Some of the images hark back to what are seen as Soviet glory days – with one showing a hammer and sickle flag flying over a commando.
The WW2-era soldier clutching the flag appears to be looking back, while the modern spec ops troop looks ahead.
The calendar is being used to raise money for veterans via a charity linked to the FSB – the Special Operations Command “C” Combat Veterans Support Fund.
Its retail price is supposed to be around £40 – but it already being flogged cut price in Russia for just £9.
The Kyiv Post news outlet in Ukraine branded it “Russian propaganda at its most cringeworthy”, underlining Russian aggression.
It “gives an insight into the Russian psyche and has been met with anger and ridicule in equal measure”, said the report.
The other images are the “usual mix of militarism and romanticism that was one of the features of Soviet propaganda”, said the Kyiv Post report.
Putin was a secret agent in the foreign espionage part of the old Soviet-era KGB and later headed the largest successor organisation, the FSB.
After becoming president he has famously starred in his own annual calendar for many years, depicted in various “macho” outdoor pursuits such as cuddling leopards and topless horseriding.
His toned-down 2024 calendar features only old photos, sparking fresh speculation on his health.
