Vladimir Putin admits he's in love, with a mystery woman

Vladimir Putin, 62, and divorced, is in love.

According to reports published in Mail Online, the Russian President also said he is "getting loved in return".

"I do, I tell you, " Putin replied when asked by a journalist about whether he has time for women. 
But not one knows about the mystery woman Putin loves. However, reports had suggested he has been in a relationship with Olympic gymnast Alina Kabayeva.

The Mail Online report says Putin reportedly confirmed the news to his friend in Europe when asked whether he loved anyone. He replied saying, "Yes".

However, Putin has been rubbishing rumours about his wedding with Alina. Vladimir Putin announced divorce to his wife Lyudmila on June 7, 2013.

Lyudmila, 55, was rarely seen in public during her husband's long tenure at the top of Russian politics, fueling rumours that she and Putin had separated. 

Divorce is common in Russia, and nearly 7,00,000 couples dissolved their marriages in 2009, according to UNICEF.

But Russian leaders, unlike their American counterparts, generally keep their domestic lives well out of public view and divorce among top officials in Russia is unprecedented.

While break-ups involving prominent politicians are exceptionally rare, some sections of the media often sneer at celebrity splits.

Opposition-leaning Kommersant Radio lauded the couple's announcement for keeping the public informed instead of keeping it secret.

"Perhaps a lot of people feel better now that the president did what he did instead of living a double life for the sake of following some false protocol," prominent columnist Viktor Loshak said on Kommersant FM Friday morning. "The president and his wife acted like real people."

The Putins married on July 28, 1983, and have two daughters, Maria and Yekaterina, who haven't been seen in public for years.

There have been hints that Lyudmila Putina was unhappy. In a 2005 interview with three Russian newspapers, she complained that her husband worked long hours, forgetting that "one needs not only to work, but also to live."