Putin hiding in underground bunkers ‘for weeks’ to avoid assassination, leaked report claims

Russian president Vladimir Putin has amped up security precautions over fears of being assassinated, according to a leaked European intelligence report.

The 73-year-old leader is said to be so concerned about his personal safety that he spends weeks at an underground bunker in the Krasnodar region, according to CNN.

Bodyguards, cooks and photographers must be thoroughly screened before being near him and are unable to use their personal phones, instead they are forced to use devices without any internet access.

It also alleges that Putin has stopped going to his residences in Moscow Oblast and Valdai, Novgorod Oblast. This appears to follow unverified claims that Ukraine attempted to attack the Russian president at his personal residence in the Novgorod region. US intelligence found that it had not been targeted and Kyiv has denied the allegations.

The measures have also reportedly been put in place following the killing of a top general, Fanil Sarvarov, in December. Sarvarov was killed by a bomb planted under his car.

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The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said it had observed “corroborating evidence of enhanced security measures for Putin and high-ranking Russian officials”.

“There have been numerous assassinations and assassination attempts against high-ranking Russian officials throughout the war, some of which have been credited to Ukraine, that could be pushing Putin to worry about his safety and the safety of other senior officials,” it said in an update on Monday.

“ISW has also observed reports between May 2023 and December 2025 of Russian authorities moving an increased number of short and medium-range air defence systems, including Pantsir-S1 and S-400 systems, near Putin’s Valdai and Moscow City residences.

“Ukraine has also been increasing the range, intensity, and frequency of its long-range drone strike campaign, including a drone strike against Moscow City on May 4 that damaged the Mosfilm Tower.”

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Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov suggested that the threat of assassination and recent success of longer-range Ukrainian strikes had driven the security precautions.

“Against the backdrop of this terrorist threat, of course, all measures are being taken to minimise the danger,” he said.

According to the ISW, the intelligence report cited Russian sources familiar with Putin who suggested that internet shutdowns in Moscow had been related to security surrounding Putin and anti-drone protection.

The assassination of Sarvarov is reported to have sparked division and finger-pointing within Putin’s administration. He is reported to have amended the Federal Protective Service (FSO) regulations to provide security to 10 high-ranking generals after the December 2025 meeting where the fallout occurred.

ISW said it had not observed independent evidence to support other claims in the report, such as Putin’s fear of a coup attempt in Russia.

The concerns for his personal safety come amid growing backlash over the Russian army’s use of immigrants and reports of frontline soldiers being sent into “meat storms”.

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