Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly spending extended periods inside underground bunkers in southern Russia amid growing fears over assassination attempts and possible internal instability, according to a leaked European intelligence assessment cited by CNN.
The report claims the 73-year-old Russian leader has significantly tightened personal security protocols as the war in Ukraine intensifies and long-range drone attacks increasingly target Russian territory, including Moscow.
Putin is said to be staying for weeks at a fortified underground facility in the Krasnodar region, while access to him has become heavily restricted.
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According to the report, members of Putin's inner circle, including bodyguards, cooks and photographers, are subjected to extensive screening procedures before being allowed near him. Personal mobile phones are reportedly banned, with staff required to use devices disconnected from the internet.
The leaked assessment also suggests Putin has reduced visits to his official residences in Moscow Oblast and Valdai in the Novgorod region. The move follows claims, denied by Kyiv and later dismissed by US intelligence, that Ukraine had attempted to target the Russian president at his Valdai residence.
The security clampdown reportedly intensified after the December assassination of senior Russian military official Fanil Sarvarov, who was killed in a car bombing. The incident is said to have triggered tensions within the Kremlin and prompted Putin to expand state protection measures for several high-ranking generals.
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The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said it had observed “corroborating evidence of enhanced security measures for Putin and high-ranking Russian officials”.
“There have been numerous assassinations and assassination attempts against high-ranking Russian officials throughout the war,” the ISW said in an update, adding that some incidents had been attributed to Ukraine.
The think tank also pointed to the deployment of additional air defence systems, including Pantsir-S1 and S-400 units, near Putin's residences between 2023 and 2025. Recent internet shutdowns in Moscow, according to Russian sources cited in the report, were also linked to anti-drone security operations surrounding the Russian president.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov acknowledged heightened security concerns, saying: “Against the backdrop of this terrorist threat, of course, all measures are being taken to minimise the danger.”
However, the ISW noted it had not independently verified claims that Putin fears a coup attempt within Russia.
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