I think Russia is having a brain seizure trying to deal with Bitcoin. I remember so many news across the years of Bitcoin being banned in Russia, or Putin threatening people to put them into jail for owning Bitcoin, and then I remember a lot of news of "Ban of on Bitcoin lifted". It's like a ping pong match of banned and not banned. Russia just doesn't know how to react to Bitcoin. Pretty funny actually.
In fact, Putin never said anything which could be construed as a threat to put peeps into jail for using Bitcoin. He's no beater about the bush, and you would almost certainly have got to know if someone had been imprisoned for owning or using Bitcoin in Russia...
What he actually said is this:
Oни ничeм нe oбecпeчeны, эти дeньги, вoт в чeм вce дeлo, этo caмaя глaвнaя пpoблeмa. Oни ни к чeмy peaльнo нe пpивязaны и ничeм нe oбecпeчeны. Ho в цeлoм, кaк eдиницa pacчeтa, кaк oни тaм нaзывaютcя, «кoины», ими мoжнo пoльзoвaтьcя, oни вce шиpe и шиpe pacпpocтpaняютcя. Кaк кaкoй-тo эквивaлeнт в кaкиx-тo ceгмeнтax pacчeтa, нaвepнoe, вoзмoжнo
The major issue with this money is that it is backed up by nothing, and that's the heart of the matter. It is not linked to or backed up by anything. Nevertheless, these "coins", or what's their name, can be used as a unit of account since they are gaining ever wider recognition. It seems that they might be used as a sort of money substitute for settling certain accounts
It looks like Putin is severely uninformed that fiat money (including the Russian Ruble) is essentially not backed up by anything either