Milan, 4 May (LaPresse) – The spectre of a possible coup d’état is said to be looming in Russia. This is according to the US broadcaster CNN, which reports that the Kremlin has drastically stepped up security for President Vladimir Putin, installing surveillance systems in the homes of his closest aides. The measures are said to have been triggered by the wave of assassinations of senior Russian military officers and fears of a government overthrow. The publication cites a report from a European intelligence agency. According to the report cited by CNN, “the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin himself are concerned about the possible leak of sensitive information, as well as the risk of a plot or an attempted coup against the Russian president” . The Tsar is said to be “particularly concerned about the use of drones for a possible attempt on his life by members of the Russian political elite”. Putin reportedly spends much of his time in underground bunkers. According to the dossier, even chefs, bodyguards and photographers working with Russian President Putin are banned from using public transport. Visitors to the Kremlin leader undergo two security checks, and those working in close contact with him may only use mobile phones without internet access. According to reports, Russian security officials have drastically reduced the number of places Putin visits regularly. He and his family are said to have stopped travelling to their usual residences in the Moscow region and to Valdai, the president’s secluded summer residence situated between St Petersburg and the capital. Some of the new measures are said to have been introduced in recent months following the killing of a senior general in December 2025, an event that sparked a dispute at the top of the Russian security apparatus. According to European intelligence, the main suspect behind the alleged ‘plot’ is Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Security Council and a former close associate of Putin, as well as a former defence minister. Shoigu is ‘linked to the risk of a coup as he retains considerable influence within the military high command’, the report states.
© Copyright LaPresse
