Russian President Vladimir Putin has significantly increased his security precautions amid fears of assassination, according to a leaked European intelligence report cited by CNN. The 73-year-old leader is said to spend weeks at a time in an underground bunker in the Krasnodar region, avoiding his usual residences in Moscow Oblast and Valdai.
The report alleges that bodyguards, cooks, and photographers must undergo thorough screening before being allowed near Putin and are prohibited from using personal phones, instead being issued devices without internet access. These measures follow unverified claims of a Ukrainian attack on Putin's residence in the Novgorod region, which US intelligence found to be false and Kyiv has denied.
The heightened security also comes after the assassination of top general Fanil Sarvarov in December, killed by a bomb planted under his car. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted corroborating evidence of enhanced security for Putin and high-ranking officials, including increased deployment of air defence systems near his residences.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged the threat, stating, “Against the backdrop of this terrorist threat, of course, all measures are being taken to minimise the danger.” The ISW reported that the assassination has caused division within Putin's administration, leading to amended Federal Protective Service regulations to provide security to ten high-ranking generals.
The leaked report also suggests Putin fears a coup attempt, though the ISW said it has not observed independent evidence to support this. The security concerns arise amid growing backlash over the Russian army's use of immigrants and reports of frontline soldiers being sent into “meat storms.”
