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A leaked European intelligence dossier suggests Russian president Vladimir Putin has become increasingly consumed by security fears as turmoil within Russia’s elite circles intensifies.
Putin has long cultivated an image of control over the nation, but some analysts believe there are signs his influence is beginning to crack, even among some of his closest career allies.
He has recently tightened his inner circle even further and has largely withdrawn from public life as a perfect storm of instability forms around his throne.
Now in its fifth year, the unfathomably expensive Ukraine war has helped sow dissent against the authoritarian leader both internally and across the globe.
The intel report, first reported by CNN, describes an extraordinary escalation in personal security around Putin. Staff closest to him — everyone from personal cooks to photographers — are now subject to even more intense monitoring.
There are even suggestions some of Putin’s closest employees are barred from using public transport, while others are restricted to phones without internet access.
Visitors face multiple layers of screening, and even once-trusted insiders are no longer fully assumed to be on the party’s side.
While these are all well-known elements of the highly-paranoid Soviet era, which have naturally bled into the culture of the modern Russian Federation, the recent ramping-up of security has raised eyebrows even among those who follow Putin closely.
He is now reportedly afraid of the threat of a drone assassination launched by someone internally.
“The Kremlin and Vladimir Putin himself have been concerned about potential leaks of sensitive information, as well as the risk of a plot or coup attempt targeting the Russian president,” the report said.
“He is particularly wary of the use of drones for a possible assassination attempt by members of the Russian political elite.”
Originating from an anonymous European intelligence source, the report is difficult to verify, but several details align with past reports of the Russian leader’s unfathomably elaborate security apparatuses.
Throughout history, even the most powerful of governments have come under crippling amounts of pressure during lengthy conflicts. The Ukraine fiasco is no different.
Since the 2022 invasion, Russia has absorbed staggering losses on multiple fronts. Western estimates cited in the report put casualties at around 30,000 dead and injured per month.
The campaign that was trumpeted to take as little as six weeks has now dragged on deep into the 2020s with no end in sight, with renewed internal pushes to enlist more young men to the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian strikes are reaching far deeper into Russian territory than first anticipated. For a population once enamoured by a sense of Russian nationalism, the war that started as a far-flung flashpoint has merged into something much more real for the average civilian.
The report points to the growing frustration among Russia’s urban middle class, with infrastructure issues like mobile outages becoming more common.
There are also major cracks forming inside the Kremlin, where conflict is bubbling among Russia’s elite over how to cling to power. After the assassination of a senior general in Moscow in late 2025, Putin reportedly convened a tense meeting of top officials. According to the leaked account, the exchange quickly turned into a blame game.
“Valeri Gerasimov strongly criticised his counterparts in the special services for their lack of foresight,” the report read.
Intelligence officials pushed back, blaming a lack of resources to carry out their job.
Putin’s elaborate measures to stay alive
Long before reports of coup fears and elite unrest, Putin had already constructed one of the most elaborate personal security systems of any modern leader.
Wherever Putin goes, he is enveloped in multiple layers of defence.
His bodyguards carry bulletproof briefcases that double as shields and are armed with armour-piercing pistols, while any public appearance is secured by deadly rings of protection, from close guards to plainclothes agents in the crowd, outer perimeter teams and snipers positioned overhead.
When travelling, he moves within convoys of heavily armoured vehicles accompanied by security forces equipped with military-grade weapons, including grenade launchers and anti-aircraft systems.
It is an extraordinary level of force for a head of state moving within his own country.
Every movement is meticulously planned. Advance teams reportedly scout locations months in advance, assessing not only security risks but also public sentiment, environmental conditions and even the possibility of natural disasters.
His personal protection unit, part of Russia’s Federal Protective Service, is composed of carefully selected operatives chosen for psychological resilience and physical endurance as much as for combat ability.
The report claims he has reduced his travel even further. He has reportedly abandoned his regular residences and spends extended periods in fortified locations.
Even Russia’s iconic Victory Day parade is being scaled back this year. Heavy weaponry will be absent for the 2026 parade, with officials citing rising security concerns.
There is no single definitive casualty figure for Ukraine war.
The most widely cited assessments suggest that total combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties — including killed, wounded and missing — are approaching or have already reached around 1.8 to 2 million.
A January 2026 analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies concluded that “combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties may be as high as 1.8 million and could reach 2 million”.
It makes it the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II.
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