Russian President Vladimir Putin (73) has significantly strengthened his personal security. The Kremlin introduced unprecedented measures in response to a series of assassinations of high-ranking military officials and growing fears of a possible coup d’état. This follows from the report of the European secret services, which was obtained by .
According to the document, the loop of security measures around the Russian president is being tightened dramatically. Surveillance systems were installed in the homes of his close associates. Staff included cooks, bodyguards and photographers are strictly prohibited from traveling by public transport. The Kremlin chief’s visits must go through double security and those in his immediate vicinity can only use mobile phones without an internet connection.
A report by European intelligence services suggests that there is growing unrest in the Kremlin. Russia is facing mounting domestic and foreign problems, including economic difficulties, dissent and setbacks on the Ukrainian front.
Isolation in bunkers and pre-recorded videos
Russian security forces have drastically reduced the number of places that Putin regularly visits. The president and his family stopped traveling to their usual residences in the Moscow region, as well as to their summer residence in Valdai. He has not yet visited any military installations this year, although he will do so regularly in 2025.
To cover up these restrictions, the Kremlin is releasing pre-recorded footage of the president to the public, according to the report. Since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Putin has spent weeks in improvised bunkers, often in the seaside Krasnodar region, several hours from Moscow.
According to European secret services, the Kremlin is worried about the leakage of sensitive information and the risk of a conspiracy from March 2026. Putin is particularly concerned about a possible drone assassination involving members of Russia’s political elite.
However, the most surprising finding concerns a former Putin confidant Sergey Shoigu. Former Minister of Defense who currently serves as Secretary of the Security Councilis described in the report as a possible coup risk, as he maintains considerable influence in the military command. The arrest in March of his close ally and former deputy, Ruslan Calikov, is seen as a breach of elite agreements, weakening Shoigu.
The report was published at a time when the war in Ukraine has been going on for more than four years. Representatives of Western countries estimate Russian losses at 30,000 dead and wounded per month. At the same time, territorial gains are limited and Ukrainian drones are hitting targets deep inside Russia. Just on Sunday, a drone hit a high-rise residential building in a luxury district in the center of Moscow.
The economic effects of the conflict are also beginning to be felt by the urban elites, who have been isolated since the war. Mobile network outages in big cities are becoming more and more frequent, which also angers the part of the bourgeoisie that otherwise supports Putin.
Arguments in the Kremlin and a truncated tour
The new security measures were partly triggered by a sharp argument between top officials at a meeting with Putin at the end of last year. After the death of Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov in Moscow (December 2025), the Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov sharply criticized FSB security chief Alexander Bortnikov for failing to protect his officers.
Concerns about security were also reflected in the plans for the Victory Day celebrations (May 9). The Kremlin announced that this year’s military parade on Red Square will be cancelled without heavy military equipment, such as armored vehicles and missiles. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov admitted that the reason was the “terrorist threat” and recent successful strikes by Ukrainian forces.
