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The Financial Times published on Monday an exclusive investigation revealing how the Kremlin has drastically intensified security protocols around Vladímir Putin.
The Russian president is reportedly spending more and more time secluded in underground bunkers out of fear of assassination or a coup.
The information comes from sources close to European intelligence services and individuals from the president's immediate circle.
Since March, paranoia in the Kremlin has skyrocketed.
The European intelligence report obtained by CNN describes it accurately:
“Since the beginning of March 2026, the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin himself have been concerned about potential leaks of sensitive information, as well as the risk of a conspiracy or coup attempt directed against the Russian president. He is particularly worried about the use of drones for a possible assassination attempt by members of the Russian political elite.”
The trigger: Drones, a murdered general, and the fall of Maduro
Three events explain the escalation.
The first was the Ukrainian Spiderweb Operation, carried out on June 1, 2025, in which over 100 drones with artificial intelligence attacked Russian air bases, reaching beyond the Arctic Circle.
"The impact of Operation Spiderweb with drones from Ukraine is still remembered," a person close to the Kremlin leader told the Financial Times.
The second trigger was the assassination of Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov on December 22, 2025, in Moscow, via a car bomb placed under his vehicle, the latest in a series of attacks against high-ranking Russian military officials linked to Ukraine.
The third factor was the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces on January 3, 2026, in Caracas, an event that—according to sources close to Putin—exacerbated his fear of a similar operation against him.
Bunkers, pre-recorded images, and minimal appearances
Putin and his family have stopped visiting their usual residences in the Moscow region and in Valdai.
The leader spends long periods in bunkers in the Krasnodar region, in southern Russia.
State media disseminate pre-recorded images to project a sense of normalcy to the public.
As of late April 2026, Putin had made only two in-person public appearances, compared to at least 17 in 2025.
According to sources in his circle, he dedicates "70% of his time to directing military operations and only 30% to internal affairs or bilateral relations."
Operated doubles, tasters, and feces collection
The personal protective measures border on the unbelievable.
It is suspected that Putin has at least three surgically operated doubles to resemble the president.
Ukraine claimed that the person who visited Mariupol during the war was not Putin, pointing out differences in the chin, ears, and manner of walking.
At official dinners, food brought from Russia must be tasted by an official taster.
According to the magazine Paris Match, when traveling, a specialized team collects his feces and brings them back to the Kremlin sealed in plastic to prevent anyone from accessing his DNA.
Cooks, photographers, and bodyguards are prohibited from using public transportation and devices with internet access in the presence of Putin.
Visitors must be registered twice before accessing the president.
Surveillance systems have been installed at the homes of close personnel, and the Federal Protection Service conducts canine patrols along the Moscow River.
The shadow of Shoigu and internal struggles
After the assassination of Sarvarov, the head of the Federal Security Service, Alexander Bortnikov, blamed the Ministry of Defense for the failures in protecting high-ranking officials.
Putin responded by ordering that his protection be extended to ten high-ranking generals.
The intelligence report identifies former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu as a figure "associated with the risk of a coup, as he maintains significant influence within the top military command."
This is not the first time Putin faces an internal threat: in June 2023, the mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin led a failed march toward Moscow with Wagner forces.
Declining popularity and social unrest
Putin's approval ratings have fallen to their lowest point since autumn 2022.
The discomfort has become evident on social media, exemplified by the influencer Viktoria Bonya, whose 18-minute video directed at Putin garnered over 1.5 million reactions and forced the Kremlin to publicly acknowledge its existence.
Meanwhile, Russian casualties in Ukraine are estimated at about 30,000 dead and wounded each month according to Western nations.
This Saturday, the Victory Day parade in Red Square will be held without heavy weaponry for the first time since 2008.
The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, justified the decision with a statement that encapsulates the mood in Moscow: "In light of this terrorist threat, measures are certainly being taken to minimize the danger."
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