The Federal Protective Service (FSO), which is responsible for protecting top Russian leaders, equivalent to the Secret Services in the US, has tightened security measures in recent months, including tighter controls on Putin’s movements.
They are doing large-scale security checks using dog squads, heavy surveillance systems and patrols along the Moscow river.
“The shock of Ukraine’s drone Operation Spiderweb is still there,” a person familiar with Putin told the Financial Times. The operation was a major drone attack that reportedly targeted Russian airfields, including areas near the Arctic Circle.
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Another incident that frightened Putin was the US action against Venezuela’s leader, Nicolas Maduro, in January.
Last year, there were tensions inside Russia’s security establishment after officials blamed each other for failures in protecting Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, who was killed in Ukraine-related attacks.
FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov reportedly blamed the Defence Ministry for security lapses. He alleged that it lacks a dedicated unit for protecting senior officials.
Viktor Zolotov, head of Russia’s National Guard and a former Putin bodyguard, denied responsibility and cited limited resources as a reason.
Putin is now meeting fewer people, and anyone meeting him is going through stricter security checks than before.
Reports also say Putin has stopped visiting some of his residences near Moscow and Valdai. Instead, he is spending more time in highly protected bunkers, including in southern Russia’s Krasnodar region, sometimes working there for weeks. During this time, state media reportedly show older or pre-recorded videos.
Security has also been tightened for his aides and his cooks, photographers, and bodyguards. They are reportedly not allowed to use phones or internet devices near him, cannot use public transport, and are being closely monitored.
Some reports also suggest that internet shutdowns in Moscow may be partly linked to anti-drone security measures.
According to the same report, he attended over 100 events between January and March 2024. However, this number has reportedly declined to around 70 events in 2025 and to nearly 50 in 2026, during the same period.
