Russia’s ruling United Russia party announced it will expel one of its members running for local office over insulting remarks she made about President Vladimir Putin.
Yulia Trukhmanova, a member of the Marx city council in the southern Saratov region, was recorded on audio ridiculing Putin as a “nobody” and “dirty schmuck” before he came to power in 1999.
United Russia’s regional branch on Tuesday called Trukhmanova’s comments “outrageous, absurd and frankly stupid.”
The party said it plans to expel Trukhmanova “in the nearest future” and exclude her from the list of candidates in next month’s local elections.
Trukhmanova claimed the audio of her private conversation was doctored and vowed to file a lawsuit.
“The phrases taken out of context had no relation with the president whatsoever,” she wrote on the Russian social network Vkontakte Monday.
The Kremlin has sought to maintain strict party loyalty in the 18 months since facing international isolation for launching its invasion of neighboring Ukraine.
