The Kremlin has significantly tightened security around President Vladimir Putin amid assassinations of senior Russian military figures and fears of possible internal plots, CNN reported, citing a European intelligence report it obtained.
According to CNN, the measures include surveillance systems installed in the homes of staff members close to Putin, restrictions on public transportation for cooks, bodyguards and photographers who work with him and a requirement that visitors undergo two screenings before meeting him. Staff working near Putin are also limited to phones without internet access.
The report said Russian security officials have reduced the number of places Putin regularly visits. He and his family have stopped going to their usual residences near Moscow and at Valdai, his secluded summer estate between Moscow and St. Petersburg, CNN reported.
Putin has not visited a military facility this year, despite regular such trips in 2025, according to the report. CNN said the Kremlin has instead used prerecorded images of the Russian leader to maintain public appearances.
The intelligence assessment said Putin has spent weeks at a time in upgraded bunkers since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, often in Krasnodar, a Black Sea region far from Moscow.
CNN said the report points to growing concern inside the Kremlin as Russia faces battlefield pressure in Ukraine, economic strain and Ukrainian drone attacks deep inside Russian territory.
The report also said the Kremlin has been concerned since March 2026 about possible leaks of sensitive information and the risk of a plot or coup attempt against Putin. It said he is particularly worried about drones being used in an assassination attempt by members of Russia’s political elite.
One of the report’s most striking claims concerns Sergei Shoigu, the former defense minister and current secretary of Russia’s Security Council. CNN said the report described Shoigu as linked to “the risk of a coup” because of his continued influence in the military command.
The report also linked those concerns to the March 5 arrest of Ruslan Tsalikov, Shoigu’s former deputy and close ally, on corruption-related charges. CNN noted the report did not provide evidence for the claims about Shoigu and said it had asked the Kremlin for comment.
The tightened security measures followed the December 2025 assassination of Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov in Moscow, CNN reported. According to the intelligence report, Putin summoned senior security officials three days later for a tense meeting in which Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov criticized Federal Security Service chief Alexander Bortnikov over the failure to protect senior officers.
The report said Putin told the officials to calm tensions and present concrete solutions within a week. As a result, Putin’s Federal Protection Service expanded its protection to 10 additional senior commanders, CNN reported.
CNN said the release of the intelligence assessment may reflect a European effort to highlight instability inside Moscow as the war in Ukraine continues.
First published: 09:05, 05.04.26