Russia's president is increasingly running his war from underground, the Financial Times and CNN report, based on European intelligence. The Federal Protective Service has sharply tightened security around Vladimir Putin amid rising fears of a coup or assassination attempt, particularly by drone, according to a new intelligence report. Putin and his family have reportedly stopped using some residences near Moscow, with the president spending weeks at a time in bunkers, while state media relies more on prerecorded footage. The ramped-up protections extend to his inner circle: staff reportedly face bans on public transport and internet-enabled devices in Putin's vicinity, and new surveillance has been installed in their homes.
Security units now patrol the Moscow River and conduct extensive sweeps, while recent internet outages in the capital are seen by some as tied to anti-drone defenses. Inside the system, agencies are trading blame for failures to protect top military figures, including in fatal attacks linked to Ukraine, prompting Putin to expand elite protection to several generals, the report states. As he devotes most of his time to battlefield minutiae and less to domestic issues, public frustration is rising, his approval rating has hit its lowest level since 2022, and even loyal influencers are publicly pressing him on issues like censorship and economic strain. CNN could not verify all of the details in the report and notes that European intelligence agencies have a strong motivation to suggest internal upheaval at the Kremlin.
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