Watch as leering Putin gets into bizarre row with female scientist about SPERM after she lands subtle dig at his regime

THIS is the moment Putin had a bizarre argument with a female Russian scientist about sperm’s swimming ability.

The dictator, 72, defended spunking Russia's budget on his crackpot war in Ukraine after the scientist made a dig at his reckless spending.

The father-of-five, faced off with Professor Maria Vedunova, Director of Biology at Lobachevsky University, over whether sperm can “swim where they need to”.

The ballsy biologist told Putin: “Vladimir Vladimirovich [Putin], if I may, there is a problem here,” at a meeting with Russia’s top young scientists.

“There is a misconception that everyone believes that sperm know where to swim.

"This is not true.”

Clearly taken aback, Putin said: “I'm sorry, I didn't hear you. Tell me again.”

Not backing down, Vedunova, 43, a prominent nerve specialist, said: “Sperm know where to swim.

“Everyone thinks so.

“It's not true, they don't know.

“And even of those that swim in the right direction, not the first one fertilises, somewhere around a hundredth.”

Putin fired back: “Whether they know or not, they swim where they need to go.

“This is the most important thing.”

But she corrected him: “These are only the ones we will learn about.”

She used the example of sperm not where they are swimming to his regime for failing science.

She told him: “It's the same in science.

“Exploratory research - we don't know where to swim.

“And a lot of people swim in the other direction.”

Vlad looked embarrassed as others in the room chuckled at her clever dig at his regime.

Putin has drained funding from science research in Russia to pour into his ridiculous war with Ukraine, which has seen hundreds of thousands of Russians killed and maimed.

Going on the defensive, he said: “I understand [certain] issues are definitely linked to financing.

“We have a goal set and we will implement it.

“Two per cent of the GDP should go to science by 2030.”

He also said that Russia must educate one million engineers in the next three years, with 1.8 million by 2030.

In Russia's new budget, an eyewatering 39 per cent is funneled into defence, his security services and law enforcement.

Science will get less than one per cent.

This is not the only time vulgar Vlad has been obsessed by sperm and birthrates.

Putin has given a lot of thought to baby making lately as he struggles to maintain a steady population to supply his meat-grinder front line.

In September the Kremlin announced a sex-at-work policy to make Russians have more babies.

The plan will apparently solve the problem of citizens complaining they don’t have enough time or energy for late-night romps.

It will see staff allowed to get it on during their lunch and coffee breaks in peace.

Bosses have even been told to encourage all midday rendezvous.

Vlad is even dreaming up a “Ministry of Sex” in a desperate attempt to remedy the country’s plummeting libido and birth rates.

A number of insane plans are being proposed for the new department.

One unbelievable proposal is to turn off the Internet - and even the lights - between 10pm and 2am to encourage couples to have sex.

Another bizarre idea is for the state to pay stay-at-home women raising children for doing housework - and include this in their pension calculations.

The Ministry of Sex also has a notion that the state should pay for first dates - up to the value of a whopping £40.

Vlad seems not to have twigged that the main issue is sending droves of soldiers to fight on the front line - resulting in the deaths of over 100,000 Russian soldiers.