The Kremlin released photos of Putin’s summer vacation to Siberia, and he has his shirt on this time

The Kremlin released new photos on Monday of Russian president Vladimir Putin taking a break from his official duties to go hiking in Siberia with his top security chiefs, Reuters reports.

In the past, the 65-year-old leader often posed shirtless in his official vacation photos, but he’s fully clothed in this year’s images and looks somewhat somber at times.

During an interview with an Australian journalist in June, Putin defended past pictures of him on vacation in which he was bare-chested.

“When I am on vacation I see no need to hide behind the bushes, and there is nothing wrong with that,” Putin said.

Putin's mini-vacation occurred as he was on his way to the Siberian city of Kemerovo, a coal mining hub, according to the Kremlin.

"The president, on his way to Kemerovo, decided to fly out earlier and spend Saturday and Sunday in Tuva, on the Yenisei River," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. "He walked in the mountains, admired the beautiful views."

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu joined Putin on his trip.

The head of the Federal Security Service (FSB), Alexander Bortnikov, also tagged along.

These images of Putin seem designed to portray him in a macho light and are meant to demonstrate his strength and good health.

The Kremlin is notorious for its propaganda fawning over Putin.

Unlike his shirtless photos in previous years, Putin wore a T-shirt and coat in the recently released images.

The images showed Putin with top-notch gear for his time in the wildness, including binoculars and trekking poles.

In previous years, Putin was pictured riding a horse without a shirt on. There was no horse this year, but he did seem to enjoy time on the water.

Putin typically visits Siberia close to the end of the summer each year. The Russian leader vacationed in the same region last August.

See last year's images here »