According to a Financial Times story, security around Russian President Vladimir Putin has been considerably increased amid mounting worries of an assassination attempt as his isolation grows due to the conflict in Ukraine. In recent months, Russia's Federal Protective Service (FSO) has tightened security. Putin is now significantly less involved in civilian matters and spends most of his time in subterranean bunkers overseeing the war effort, according to sources familiar with him in Moscow and a source close to European intelligence. According to the European intelligence source, his isolation has increased since the Covid-19 pandemic, and by March the Kremlin had grown more worried about the possibility of a coup or a drone assault.

"The shock of Ukraine's drone Operation Spiderweb is still there," a Putin acquaintance told the Financial Times. Russian airfields outside the Arctic Circle were targeted by Ukrainian drones last year. According to a second individual who is also acquainted with the president, security concerns were further heightened by the US's capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in January.
The FSO has responded by tightening security measures even more. According to the individual close to European intelligence, Putin has reduced his visits and increased security checks for those who meet him in person.The president and his family are no longer residing at the Valdai mansion in northwest Russia or at their residences in the Moscow area. Putin is now apparently working for weeks at a time in bunkers, including one in the southern Russian region of Krasnodar. According to the Financial Times, state media has depended on pre-recorded video to keep everything looking regular.

Those who collaborate closely with him are likewise subject to stricter security procedures. Employees including cooks, photographers, and bodyguards are not allowed to use public transportation and are not allowed to bring cell phones or other internet-enabled gadgets near him. Their homes are said to have security cameras installed. Recent internet outages in Moscow, according to those familiar with Putin in Russia, are partially related to increased security measures and initiatives to guard against possible drone attacks.

According to European intelligence, FSO agents have stepped up extensive security inspections, putting troops along the Moscow River and deploying dog units in anticipation of any drone attacks. Beyond President Putin, there are worries. Security officials criticised one another at a late-year conference for mistakes that resulted in top officers, including Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, being killed during strikes connected to Ukraine. The head of the National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, pointed to a lack of resources, while FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov criticised the defence ministry for not having a senior-protection unit. Putin called for composure and tasked the FSO with guarding ten generals, including three deputies, when Gerasimov left.

"Putin is like the new Banksy sculpture in London [a man carrying a flag that covers his face], he does not want to see or hear," political expert Andrei Kolesnikov of Moscow told the Financial Times. He expects that people would accept this as the new normal and only pays attention to the security services, which now control every aspect of life."
Criticism of internet shutdowns, new small company taxes, and animal culls in Siberia has surged on social media in Russia. Viktoria Bonya, a lifestyle blogger from Monaco, has been the most well-known voice. Her 18-minute video appeal to President Vladimir Putin, claiming that people were "afraid of him," received over 1.5 million likes and prompted a response from the Kremlin.

Later, Putin made a rare appearance in St. Petersburg and openly addressed internet restrictions, projecting approachability through staged meetings. His shortened public schedule, according to analysts, is a result of increased security, dwindling public support, and a widening gap between public expectations and presidential involvement.