Russian president Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that there was no element of corruption, in comments referring to the Panama Papers leak of financial documents.

“Our opponents are above all concerned by the unity and consolidation of the Russian nation, our multinational Russian people. They are attempting to rock us from within, to make us more obedient,” he said. “So they’ve created an information product”.

‘Corrupt schemes’

“There is a certain friend of the president of Russia, he did such and such a thing, and there is probably a corruption element there,” said Mr Putin said, referring to allegations that he was involved in corrupt schemes with a friend, cellist Sergei Roldugin.

“But there isn’t any [element of corruption].”