From RIA Novosti:  City authorities vowed on Friday to "find and punish" the "hooligans" who put up posters in central Moscow depicting Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as a secret agent. . . .

They feature "Putin" in a black suit with a pistol in his hand. The caption says "VV [Putin’s patronymic is Vladimirovich] will cover up for you."

From Vedomosti:  The posters were removed by mid-Thursday, committee head Vladimir Chernikov said. Those pasted Thursday evening were removed much faster.

The posters feature Putin as Casino Royale’s 007 and say he plays the lead role while President Dmitry Medvedev plays a supporting role in a movie produced by Xquest.ru.

According to its website, Xquest is “a secret state project set up as a national quest game.” Participants must “ferret out spies and informers around the world, expose traitors and protect secret information.”

Until Thursday evening, the site’s home page displayed a “Contact Putin” banner. Users typed in their names and mobile phone numbers, and a video clip in which two men discussed the new agent’s mission would start to play. A voice like Putin’s then says he wants to speak to the agent. Then the user’s phone rings and he is issued instructions.

The player who gets the highest score is declared the winner. One mission is to adorn the city streets with the line “VV will cover” 2,000 times. Any “agents” whose oeuvre gets covered by the media or elicits a comment by Putin himself will win a brand new iPad. That was the prize that inspired the author of the illegal Putin-007 posters. . . .

Moscow’s advertising committee has turned to the police for help. This is the first time it has done so, Chernikov said.  (photo: Grigory Dukor/Reuters/Moscow Times)

Image: reuters%207%2015%2011%20Putin%20spy%20poster.jpg