Women strip to bras to back Putin return as president

About 20 young women stripped to their bras in central Moscow on Friday to show their support for Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to return as Russia's president.

Putin has not said whether he will run in next year's presidential election but the women, who had pink flowers in their hair, jumped around in a central Moscow square before removing white T-shirts showing a rose-coloured portrait of him.

"We want to see him as our president in the future. We want to support him by using all possible means and this is one of them," said Inna, a member of "Putin's Army", a movement that urges women to show support for Putin by removing their clothes.

"Putin! Putin! Putin!" the women screamed to a small crowd of men who stopped to watch them.

A day earlier, bikini-clad students washed cars for free at Moscow State University, advertising the service by using a play on words involving Putin's initials.

Putin was president from 2000 to 2008 but was barred by the constitution from seeking a third consecutive term.

Now 58, he is permitted to run in the election which is expected next March but has not said whether he or his protege Dmitry Medvedev, who succeeded him as president, will take part. They have hinted they will not run against each other.

It is not clear who is behind the pro-Putin campaigns but opinion polls show Putin, whose macho image appeals to many Russians, remains popular after presiding over an economic boom as head of state. Recent polls put the prime minister's popularity at almost 70 percent.