Newspaper “Moskovski Korrespondent,” which reported that President Vladimir Putin divorced his wife in order to marry former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva was closed by its publishers on Friday, just hours after Putin denied the allegations.

“In what you said, there is not one word of truth,” he declared, quoted by Reuters. According to “Moskovski Korrespondent,” 55-year-old Putin secretly divorced his wife, Ljudmila several months ago.

The Russian newspaper claimed the former KGB officer would marry Kabaeva, 24, in mid-June, a month after he steps down as Russian President. While Putin was at a news conference with Italy's Prime Minister-elect Silvio Berlusconi, the Russian President said “In other publications of the same type, the names of other successful, beautiful young women from Russia are mentioned…I think it won't be unexpected if I say that I like them all — just as I like all Russian women.”

He claimed Russian women “are “the most talented and beautiful” in the world, and “if anyone can compete, it may be only Italian women.” It appears that Berlusconi laughed and raised his eyebrows in approval, while the reporters were cheering and applauding, the Associated Press reports.

However, Putin’s denial was categorical and he affirmed “I have always reacted negatively to those who with their snotty noses and erotic fantasies prowl into others' lives.” Just hours after the Russian President spoke, publisher National Media Company said it had suspended publication until it had found “a new concept” for the title.

The newspaper's website www.moscor.ru was also suspended on Friday night. A spokeswoman for the gymnast said of media reports of her relations with President Putin: “It is rubbish, all complete rubbish. Alina is not going to comment on the rubbish published by the tabloid press.”