Moderator asks why Putin has Dmitry Rogozin heading Roskosmos....
Putin emphasizes the importance of space exploration and notes that in this area cooperation with the United States continues. Lists a bunch of areas of space exploration and exploitation that Russia is working on, from deep-space research, to GPS, to telecommunications. Development of super-heavy rocket. "In general, we have big, ambitious plans in the area of space exploration," Putin says. Sings the praises of the Vostochny cosmodrome.
Next question is from a lawyer in St. Petersburg about the space program. Asks whether is it possible and desirable to resurrect the Soviet-era Buran space-shuttle program.
This seems to be a common take among Russia watchers today.
Next question is "when will blogging in Russia become a real profession?" Putin says it will be a real profession when it attracts enough advertising revenue.
Putin says security questions are the top priority. But he says just banning things is the easy way out and calls on officials to find other ways to ensure security without compromising free speech on the Internet.
Now the moderator cuts away to show a crowd of young people at the Moscow-City business center who are posting clips and comments about the Direct Line performance on the Internet. Introduces a few pro-Putin influencers, one of whom asks Putin about efforts to restrict apps like Instagram and Telegram.
cc: Roman Abramovich
Now the Direct Line turns to the topic of Ukraine. Russian writer and activist among the Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine Zakhar Prilepin asks about the ongoing conflict there. Putin says Russia continues to provide help to people in the separatist-controlled regions and blames Kyiv for blockading the territory and for firing against the separatists. Claims Ukraine's military is killing civilians in contravention of the Minsk agreements and that this is destructive for Ukraine itself. Putin notes that Ukraine is entering a phase of national legislative and executive elections and this is making the political atmosphere there more uncompromising. Says Kyiv is robbing its own citizens and politicians there are following their own narrow interests, while Russia is doing everything to support the Minsk process.