Russia has significantly increased security measures around President Vladimir Putin amid growing fears of assassination attempts and possible coup plots, according to a European intelligence assessment reported by CNN.
The report, based on intelligence reviewed by Western officials, described heightened concern inside the Kremlin over threats to Putin’s safety, including the possibility of drone-based attacks and risks posed by insiders within Russia’s political and security elite.
New measures include tighter surveillance of individuals in Putin’s inner circle, restrictions on movement, and increased monitoring of communications. Some staff have reportedly been barred from using certain devices or traveling freely, while security protocols for visitors have been strengthened.
Contributing to security concerns is Putin’s confidante, Sergei Shoigu, who is the secretary of the Security Council. The dossier reportedly associates Shoigu with the risk of a coup, citing his significant influence within the military leadership.
After his March arrest, Shoigu’s former deputy, Ruslan Tsalikov, was labeled “a breach of the tacit protection agreements among elites, weakening Shoigu and increasing the likelihood that he himself could become the target of a judicial investigation,” the report says.
The stepped-up protections reflect mounting instability inside Russia as the war in Ukraine drags on into its fourth year. Reports of corruption within Moscow’s military elite have increased since the start of the war.
Additionally, Ukrainian forces have expanded their ability to strike targets deep inside Russian territory, including through long-range drone operations, raising alarm within the Kremlin about vulnerabilities even far from the front lines.
Recent attacks and assassinations targeting Russian military and intelligence officials have added to those concerns.
In February, a senior Russian intelligence official was shot and seriously wounded in Moscow, while multiple high-ranking figures have been killed or targeted since late 2024, prompting criticism of Russia’s internal security apparatus.
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Putin regularly visited Russian military facilities last year, but has yet to make a trip this year. The Kremlin has reportedly pushed out prerecorded images of Putin to the public to get around travel restrictions.
More recently, a bombing intended for a Russian general linked to alleged war crimes missed its target but killed another officer, putting a spotlight on security lapses and the reach of suspected Ukrainian operations inside Russia.