Putin's foreign spokesperson releases ad showing her punching a dummy labeled 'PRESS' in bizarre show of support for Russia's Olympians

• Russia's foreign ministry spox released an ad showing her punching a dummy labeled "PRESS."
• The ad is meant to show support for Russia's athletes competing in Tokyo.
• Russia can't officially compete in the Games due to doping violations.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova released an ad that shows her punching a dummy labeled "PRESS."

The ad, which Zakharova posted on Instagram, does not pertain to the Russian government's well-documented record of cracking down on dissent and attacking democratic institutions like the free press. Rather, it's meant to be a show of support for Russia's Olympic athletes.

Russia has been banned from competing in the Tokyo Olympics - and all international sporting events for two years - because of state-sponsored doping violations from 2011 to 2015. The ban has forced Russian athletes to compete under the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) designation - they're not allowed to participate under the Russian flag.

In the video Zakharova posted, an actor posing as press asks Zakharova about Russia's "neutral" status in this year's Games, per a translation from Moscow Times.

"The status does not matter. The most important thing is the pride our sportsmen have, and the world knows of this," Zakharova replied.

Discussing the fact that the national anthem can't be played at the Games and Russian athletes who win will stand at the pedestal to music by Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Zakharova said, "We love our rivals on the pedestal, so let them listen to classical." A part of Piano Concerto No. 1 by Tchaikovsky is being used for the Tokyo Games as well as the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

At the conclusion of the ad, Zakharova says to Russian athletes: "We love you, we believe in you, we wish you victory. And I want to quote our foreign friends, and all say together, we will rock you. From Russia, with love."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been critical of the restrictions placed on Russia's athletes.

"We will pay special attention to diplomatic and legal support for the Russian athletes and coaches during the forthcoming Olympics," Putin said in June, per the Russian news agency TASS. "The issue of politicization in sports is regrettably still high on the agenda."

"The interests of our athletes must be protected from any arbitrariness, including decisions that some countries try to impose on the whole world far beyond the bounds of their national jurisdictions," the Russian president added.