President Vladimir Putin will hold a so-called direct line in April and communicate with citizens on television, the Kommersant newspaper wrote on Thursday, citing sources and the press secretary of the head of state, Dmitry Peskov.

Peskov confirmed that the “direct line” could take place in April, but did not name the exact date and expected topics of the conversation. According to government sources, the broadcast will most likely take place no earlier than mid-April. Channel One and VGTRK, which broadcast “direct lines,” did not respond to requests for comment. A TV industry source said the live event is not an "extraordinary event" and preparations usually begin a week in advance.

The main topic of this “direct line” will be the annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol to Russia, and a direct connection point will probably be organized in Crimea, the newspaper writes.

Putin began to draw “straight lines” during his first presidential term. The tradition was not interrupted during Putin's tenure as prime minister. In 2012, the “direct line” did not take place for the first time in 10 years : they decided to move it from December to the warm season so as not to keep people in the cold . In April 2013, Putin drew the first line during his third term.

Putin will hold a “direct line” in April