Putin is hiding in bunkers, fearing a coup by Russian elites or a drone assassination attempt – media
Kyiv • UNN
Due to fear of a coup, Putin is hiding in bunkers and has restricted his travel. Russian intelligence services have tightened control over his inner circle and political elites.
Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin spends most of his time in a bunker and fears a coup d'état involving a conspiracy by Russian political elites or an assassination attempt using drones, the Financial Times and the "Istories" (Important Stories) project report, citing a secret intelligence report from an EU country, UNN writes.
Details
Russia has tightened security protocols for Putin as he becomes increasingly isolated and consumed by the war in Ukraine, the FT reports. He is reportedly spending more time in underground bunkers, fearing a coup or an assassination attempt via drones.
"The shock of Operation 'Web' using Ukrainian drones is still being felt," a person familiar with Putin told the FT. Last year, Ukrainian drones attacked Russian airfields beyond the Arctic Circle.
"Istories" also reports, citing a Western intelligence report, that Putin fears an assassination attempt and a coup, while conflict is growing between Russian security forces.
According to the publication, citing the report, "Russia's Federal Protective Service (FSO) has significantly tightened security measures around Vladimir Putin since March 2026 due to fears of a conspiracy or a coup attempt," as stated in a report from a European intelligence agency. The document was provided to the publication by a source in that country's government, and the outlet indicates it was able to independently confirm part of the information.
As follows from the report, "the FSO has significantly cut the list of places Putin can visit: he has stopped traveling to his residences in Valdai and the Moscow region."
"Putin spends most of his time in bunkers, for example, in the Krasnodar region. During this time, his press service publishes pre-recorded video materials," the publication writes.
Visitors to the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation are reportedly required to undergo two levels of screening. Staff working near Putin have been banned from using mobile phones with internet access, as well as from using public transport. Video surveillance systems have been installed in the homes of chefs, photographers, and security guards.
"The powers of the FSO have also significantly increased. They have begun conducting large-scale inspections involving dog handlers. Service officers have been stationed along the Moskva River to respond to possible drone attacks. Internet outages in some areas of the capital are also linked to the work of the FSO," the publication notes.
"Putin fears not so much Ukrainian attacks as a conspiracy by Russian political elites," the report says. "Among other things, he is considering the possibility that an assassination attempt could be carried out using drones," the publication points out.
Sergei Shoigu, the former Russian Defense Minister and, since May 2024, Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation—who retains significant influence in the military command—is associated with the risk of a coup attempt, the publication notes.
"Successful Ukrainian assassinations of high-ranking Russian officers in the rear, in turn, have led to conflict between representatives of the security structures," the document suggests.
In December 2025, right during a security meeting, the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov, FSB Director Alexander Bortnikov, and Rosgvardia head Viktor Zolotov reportedly had a falling out.
Putin had to calm the participants of the discussion. He then instructed the FSO to provide security for Gerasimov and ten other high-ranking officers of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the publication writes.