Putin discloses his childhood aspirations of pursuing a career as a pilot.

During a televised Direct Line question-and-answer session with Russian citizens, President Vladimir Putin shared his childhood dreams, revealing an early desire to become a pilot before ultimately aspiring to be an intelligence officer.

The 71-year-old president, who has held power for nearly 24 years and recently announced his candidacy for reelection, reminisced about his ambitions during the four-hour-and-three-minute event, combining the traditional session with a year-end press conference. Putin, a former officer of the KGB intelligence agency, addressed over 80 appeals and questions from citizens and journalists.

Humorously responding to a video question about doppelgangers, he asserted his unique ability to speak in his voice, jokingly acknowledging his "first doppelganger."

The event in 2020 lasted 4 hours and 30 minutes, with historical records showing durations of 4 hours and 47 minutes (2013) for a direct line and 4 hours and 40 minutes (2008) for an annual press conference.