Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who many believe to be Vladimir Putin’s successor as president, took a painful page out of former New York Giant wide receiver Plaxico Burress’s book, and shot himself in the leg at a “shooting club” after accidentally pulling the trigger of his loaded firearm, according to reports out of Moscow.

Rogozin is the top dog for both Russia’s defense and space industries.

At no point was his life in danger. That’s not to say there are no dangerous repercussions due to the mishap — he not only missed a cabinet meeting while tending to his wound, he also missed a personal one-on-one with Putin himself.

The Kremlin, however, denies the story, and says their minister was hurt playing another sport.

This from the Daily Mail:

[Rogozin’s] spokesman Nikita Anisimov added: “He is in the office now, he held a meeting earlier … He feels well.”

“Last week he really got a sports trauma, he was playing handball … It has nothing to do with what was written.”

Interfax claimed the information about the shooting came from a “source familiar with the situation”, adding: “The health of the vice PM is not in danger but he has to face some treatment.”

He is a rifle expert, collects guns, and holds patents for several gun based inventions.

Aside from being Vlad’s golden boy, Rogozin is an angry, yet immensely creative, tweeter (he majored in journalism). He once labeled United States President Barack Obama a “dreamer” and told a handful of Baltic states — after they demanded compensation for being part of the mess that was the Soviet Union — that, in lieu of money, they’ll receive “dead donkeys’ ears”.