MOSCOW, November 21. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin's combined Direct Line and annual press conference will be held in December, traditionally on Thursday, the Russian leader's press secretary Dmitry Peskov told TASS.

"The direct line and press conference are being prepared. It will be December," the Kremlin spokesman said. "Traditionally, on Thursday," the Kremlin spokesman confirmed.

"We will inform you," he added.

The last Direct Line Q&A session and year-end press conference was held on December 14, 2023. Previously, the combined press conference and Direct Line format was used in 2020, when a pandemic prevented both events from taking place in their previous form.

The previous Direct Line with the president was held in 2021, and a total of 18 times (as a separate format). Since 2001, Putin has spoken to Russians on the air 15 times as president and four times as prime minister.