MOSCOW, October 13. /TASS/. Russia’s opposition continues to hammer away and come down hard on the authorities, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a Russian Energy Week plenary meeting on Wednesday.

"As far as the opposition goes, they are here with us, working, they’re alive and kicking, coming down hard on the authorities. Moreover, I must reiterate, that they castigate [the authorities] so harshly, probably unlike in any other country," Putin said.

Opposition media outlets operate in Russia, the president stressed.

"Nobody lays a finger on them," he added. "Moreover, Gazprom sells gas to Europe and also funds the opposition media," the head of state pointed out.