Vladimir Putin has launched an extraordinary attack on US Senator John McCain in which he also implicated Washington in the killing of Libyan dictator Col Muammar Gaddafi.

The Russian prime minister called the former presidential candidate “nuts” in response to Twitter comment about Russia’s parliamentary elections that drew allegations of fraud and triggered large protests.

Mr McCain’s tweet read: "Dear Vlad, The Arab Spring is coming to a neighbourhood near you."

Mr Putin turned stony faced when asked about the tweet on his annual televised phone-in.

"Mr McCain fought in Vietnam. I think that he has enough blood of peaceful citizens on his hands. It must be impossible for him to live without these disgusting scenes anymore.

"Mr McCain was captured and they kept him not just in prison, but in a pit for several years," he said. "Anyone [in his place] would go nuts."

Referring to Col Gaddafi’s capture and killing, he said: "Who did this? Drones, including American ones. They attacked his column. Then using the radio - through the special forces, who should not have been there - they brought in the so-called opposition and fighters, and killed him without court or investigation."