Putin humiliated as photo op fiasco reveals president's 'small-man syndrome'

Vladimir Putin's small stature was cruelly showed up for all to see in a highly embarrassing photo op fiasco. Nicknamed "the f***ing dwarf" by many disgruntled Russians, the Kremlin boss is renowned for being very sensitive about his height.

He is believed to be between 5ft 2" and 5ft 5", with some claiming he is 70cm shorter than the global average height of men. The Kremlin tyrant is obsessed with projecting power and physical strength, so any situation that could undermine that image is normally avoided at all costs. Strict rules apply to staged public events, which dictate that no one can be taller than the great leader himself.

Even his bodyguards have to be smaller than him, according to a Kremlin insider.

However, the golden rule appears to have been carelessly forgotten by the President's media aides at a recent event.

A woman of normal height was allowed to stand too close to the Kremlin tyrant, inadvertently showcasing his diminutive stature. She towered over him, even though he was seemingly wearing his "tall-boy" shoes and standing on a raised platform giving him an extra 2cm.

No doubt those responsible for the mishap will be severely punished in the coming days.

A sharp eyed social media user was quick to broadcast the embarrassing situation to the world at large.

Jay in Kyiv gleefully posted: "Someone on the Kremlin PR team is definitely going out a window after today's mishap that allowed a woman of normal height next to Putin even while the dictator wore his tallest tall-boy shoes.

"There was a time when no one of normal height was allowed near Putin at these events."

Many have speculated that the Kremlin tyrant suffers from a "Napoleon complex", a label that has riled the Russian leader.

In the immediate aftermath of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the British Conservative MP Sir Julian Lewis described Putin as being "under the strong grip of short-man syndrome."

Putin has faced a similar humiliating scenario, where he was "towered over" by a group of ladies at an International Women Day's reception.