A paranoid Vladimir Putin is now said to wear bulletproof vests in many of his public appearances amid fears he could face an assassination attempt linked to his war in Ukraine or by Islamic terrorists.
Two Russian officials and a source close to the Kremlin told The Moscow Times that the country’s special services “have stepped up the already tight security measures surrounding President Vladimir Putin to an unprecedented level.”
The Kremlin is on “heightened alert over its invasion of Ukraine” but is also said to be “unsettled” by recent attacks on high-ranking politicians in Europe and Asia.
A Russian source told the media outlet: ‘The Kremlin takes Vladimir Putin’s security very seriously. He is protected by a whole army of visible and invisible guards.
The report claims the 71-year-old has been wearing body armor at outdoor events “since at least 2023.”
Putin is seen fiddling with his jacket and shifting uncomfortably amid May 9 celebrations in Red Square alongside former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Putin is seen wearing an oversized button-up jacket that could conceal body armor. A member of his security team is seen clutching a briefcase believed to be armor, or the nuclear soccer ball.
A Russian source told the Moscow Times: ‘The Kremlin takes Vladimir Putin’s security very seriously. He is protected by a whole army of visible and invisible guards.
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a concert marking the anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. It is said that he regularly wore a bulletproof vest at public events.
The report continued: “He has been doing so on the strong recommendation of the Presidential Security Service (SBP), a unit within the Federal Guard Service (FSO) that protects the president.”
Sources confirmed that he wore the bulletproof vest under his jacket during a major May 9 appearance in Red Square when he presided over the annual Victory Day military parade commemorating the Soviet victory over the Nazis in World War II, according to The report.
This is an event where your security is highly visible and snipers are present on the rooftops around the plaza.
Footage of him walking with former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu appeared to show how he was made uncomfortable by the alleged body armor.
‘This year, on May 9, the boss (Putin) was clearly wearing a concealed bulletproof vest during the parade. And I think that precaution is necessary,” said one official.
“God protects the cautious,” said a second.
The media outlet cited Jade Miller, described as an independent British consultant on hostile environments and high-risk security, who closely examined footage of Putin at the Victory Day parade and concluded that he was indeed wearing a bulletproof vest.
“Putin appears to walk in a fairly stiff manner and no natural wrinkles appear on the back of his coat when he walks and shakes hands with military personnel,” Miller said.
The structure of his upper body “appears unnatural and his shoulders appear quite wide and square, showing no shape of the back or shoulder blades.”
At one point, “a portion of his coat appears to be trapped under what could be a bulletproof vest.”
The day was unusually cold for the time of year and many attendees had put on extra clothing.
But Putin “seems to lift and adjust his shoulders in a way that shows the discomfort of how a ballistic vest is designed to sit over the shoulders or collarbone,” he concluded.
The paranoid Putin regularly wears bulletproof vests in public appearances as the Kremlin beefs up its security, according to a Moscow Times report.
FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a concert commemorating the eighth anniversary of the Russian annexation of Crimea at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow, Russia, March 18, 2022.
Security expert Andrei Soldatov, senior researcher at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and co-founder of the Russian secret service watchdog Agentura.ru, said: “Putin is a rather unique leader in the sense that he generally accepts a greater security/expansion of the security perimeter when your guards request it’
The weight of such body armor can cause discomfort and irritation when worn for a long time.
The British expert concluded that Putin kept his coat buttoned up high and was “seen checking that it was closed, as if he was trying to make sure no one could see his underwear.”
He concluded: “In my professional opinion, Putin is wearing some form of ballistic protection during the time he attends the parade.”
Multiple security officers were visible on May 9, especially when Putin presided over the laying of wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the nearby Alexander Garden under the Kremlin Wall.
Some wore portable body armor designed as briefcases, while the officers probably also held their nuclear briefcase containing the launch codes for Russia’s fearsome atomic arsenal.
The media outlet quoted security expert Andrei Soldatov, senior researcher at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and co-founder of the Russian secret service watchdog Agentura.ru, as saying: “Putin is a rather unique leader in the sense that he generally accepts increased security/expansion of the security perimeter when his guards request it.
‘Usually other leaders tend to be in constant conflict with their guards, but not Putin.
‘He almost always accepts their demands. And right now I think you agree with them.
