Ignoring warnings from local officials about getting his shoes wet, the Russian president first took a small scoop net and let several juveniles out into the stream, and then pulled a lever, freeing the water from a tank containing a colony of thousands of omul fry.
Once the photo op finished, Putin took on a somber tone.

“We need to ensure a system of tight control over the lake, and I have demanded that the state prosecutor takes an in-depth look into illegal and ecologically-harmful activities in Baikal,” he said during a media briefing.