A photo showing a mens’ twin toilet cubicle in the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics Biathlon Centre have caused a stir on social media, with some jokingly linking the toilets to debates over gay rights in Russia.

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny was one of many to comment on the picture taken by Steve Rosenberg, the BBC Moscow correspondent. Retweeting the photo, which shows two toilets next to each other within the same cubicle, the BBC said Mr Navalny wrote: “This is a men’s toilet in a Sochi Olympics media centre for 1.5bn roubles [£27m; $45m].”

Others asked for more information on how the reported $51bn (£300bn) budget for the games had been spent.

One Twitter user joked: “This is how they understand the needs of sexual minorities.”

President Vladimir Putin has launched a PR offensive in recent weeks in an attempt to present Russia as a tolerant nation, and defended himself against claims he was homophobic by asserting that he enjoys the music of Elton John and is even on “friendly terms” with some gay people.