The revelation, open knowledge in political and media circles for some time, comes amidst mounting criticism of his leadership.
As criticism of Putin's leadership grows, leading voices are siding with the opposition.
But he dismissed criticism of his leadership as "part of the gig".
There is a considerable criticism of Beck's leadership during the battle:
He added that his comments were not intended as criticism of Duchesneau's leadership.
It adds one more burden to a Mayor already struggling to handle huge budget gaps and criticism of his leadership.
There has also been some criticism of the agency's leadership.
The performance of the press has clearly divided the country and generated criticism of his leadership.
This has brought renewed criticism of his leadership from civilian politicians trying to establish a working democracy.
There were criticisms of his leadership, too, some of which he eventually acknowledged.