Stricter controls, internet shutdowns and heightened protection for military elites reflect mounting anxiety within the Kremlin, even as online criticism and public discontent in Russia become increasingly visible.
Security around Russian President Vladimir Putin has been significantly tightened amid growing fears of an assassination attempt as his isolation deepens due to the war in Ukraine, according to a report by Financial Times. Russia’s Federal Protective Service (FSO) has increased protective measures in recent months. According to people familiar with Putin in Moscow and a source close to European intelligence, he now spends much of his time in underground bunkers directing the war effort and is far less engaged in civilian affairs. His isolation has intensified since the Covid-19 pandemic, and by March the Kremlin had become increasingly concerned about the risk of a coup or a drone attack, the European intelligence source said.
“The shock of Ukraine’s drone Operation Spiderweb is still there,” a person familiar with Putin told the Financial Times. Last year, Ukrainian drones attacked Russian airfields beyond the Arctic Circle. Security fears were additionally fuelled by the US’s seizure of Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro in January, said a second person also familiar with the president.
In response, the FSO has further tightened stringent security measures. Putin has cut down his visits and security checks for people meeting him in person have been tightened further, said the person close to European intelligence.
The president and his family are no longer staying at their homes in the Moscow region or at the Valdai residence in north-western Russia. Putin is now spending extended periods in bunkers, including one in the Krasnodar region in southern Russia, where he reportedly works for weeks at a time. State media has relied on pre-recorded footage to maintain an appearance of normalcy, the Financial Times reported.
Security measures have also tightened around those who work closely with him. Staff such as cooks, photographers and bodyguards are banned from using public transport and are prohibited from carrying mobile phones or internet-enabled devices in his vicinity. Security cameras have reportedly been installed in their homes. People familiar with Putin in Russia say that recent internet shutdowns in Moscow are partly connected to heightened security protocols and efforts to protect against potential drone attacks.
European intelligence says FSO agents have intensified large-scale security checks, deploying dog units and positioning forces along the Moscow river to respond to potential drone attacks. Concerns extend beyond President Putin. At a late-year meeting, security chiefs blamed each other for failures that led to killings of senior officers, including Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, amid Ukraine-linked attacks. FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov faulted the defence ministry for lacking a senior-protection unit, while National Guard head Viktor Zolotov cited limited resources. Putin urged calm and assigned the FSO to protect ten generals, including three deputies, once Gerasimov.
Andrei Kolesnikov, a Moscow-based political analyst, told the Financial Times: “Putin is like the new Banksy sculpture in London [a man carrying a flag that covers his face], he does not want to see or hear. He listens only to the security services, which now run all spheres of life, and hopes that people will adapt to this as the new normal.”
Social media in Russia has seen a surge of criticism over internet shutdowns, new taxes on small businesses and livestock culls in Siberia. The most high-profile voice has been Viktoria Bonya, a Monaco-based lifestyle blogger whose 18-minute video appeal to President Vladimir Putin, saying people were “afraid of him”, drew more than 1.5mn likes and forced a Kremlin response. Putin later addressed internet restrictions publicly and made a rare appearance in St Petersburg, using staged interactions to project approachability. Analysts say his reduced public schedule reflects tighter security, declining approval and a growing gap between public expectations and presidential engagement.
