Girls insisted on stripping to hold up Vladimir Putin as President

An online movement has been initiated in Russia influencing young girls to support Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in a presidential vote by taking off their clothes, a legislator's site illustrated on Sunday.

Named "Putin's Army", it marks a video of a blonde student called Diana who walks along Moscow's streets in high heels and a black costumes before scrawling "I will tear my clothes off for Putin" on a white top in red lipstick and beginning to unbutton her clothes.

Appealing girls to strip off for Putin for the opportunity of winning an iPad2, the movement comes in front of the March 2012 presidential vote. Putin was President between 2000 to 2008 before handing the leads to his protégé Dmitry Medvedev.

Broadly perceived as Russia's crucial decision-maker, Putin may come back to the Kremlin next year.

"The objective: For Putin to be president!" said an announcement on its page on social networking site vkontakte.ru/armiaputina, Russia's reply to Facebook.

During Russia's Soviet era, nakedness in publicity was banned but has since become extensive; a reality which has annoyed Russian feminists who say it only strengthens an already sexualized culture where prostitution is widespread.

It is not obvious who organized the campaign which was posted on the blog of parliamentarian Kirill Shchitov, from Putin's ruling United Russia party.

In October, a group of journalism students posed in lingerie for a calendar for Putin's 58th birthday.