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Putin Retreats to Bunkers as Coup Fears and Drone Threats Shake Moscow
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Russian leader Vladimir Putin has been on heightened alert since early March amid fears of a potential coup attempt and drone-based assassination threats from inside the country, according to an investigation by Vazhnye Istorii on May 4, citing European intelligence assessments and sources within Russian security services.
The report states that Putin has significantly altered his security routine, suspending visits to his regular residences in the Moscow region and Valdai. Instead, he is said to be operating primarily from fortified, modernized bunker facilities in Russia’s Krasnodar region.
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In response to mounting risks, the Federal Protective Service (FSO) has expanded its list of high-priority protection targets to include at least ten senior military officials. Among them are Igor Kostyukov, Chief of Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate, and Nikolai Bogdanovsky, irst Deputy Chief of the General Staff. The move follows the killing of Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov in Moscow and what officials reportedly view as systemic failures to prevent attacks on military leadership within Russian territory.
Former Defense Minister and current Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu is increasingly seen by the Kremlin as a potential destabilizing figure. The March arrest of his deputy, Ruslan Tsalikov, was interpreted within elite circles as a breach of informal security guarantees, raising concerns about possible future prosecution of Shoigu himself.
Security protocols around the Kremlin have tightened considerably. The FSO has introduced two-tier screening procedures for all visitors to the presidential administration. The number of locations where Putin is physically present has reportedly been reduced, while Russian state media are said to rely more heavily on pre-recorded footage to project an image of normal activity.
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Additional countermeasures include periodic shutdowns of communication networks and internet access in Moscow to mitigate potential drone threats. Specialized FSO units are conducting routine sweeps with canine teams and maintaining surveillance posts along the Moscow River to monitor airspace.
Personnel with direct access to the president now face strict controls. The use of internet-enabled mobile devices has been banned, while staff—including cooks, photographers, and security personnel—are required to travel exclusively via FSO transport. Surveillance systems have also been installed in their residences.
Tensions among Russia’s security structures have intensified. During a December 2025 security meeting, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov reportedly criticized intelligence agencies for failing to detect assassination plots and demanded increased resources to protect military leadership.
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In response, Alexander Bortnikov argued that preventing all attacks in rear areas is not feasible and accused the Defense Ministry of lacking a dedicated protective unit comparable to those in other agencies. Meanwhile, Viktor Zolotov declined to allocate National Guard resources to protect Defense Ministry officials, suggesting instead that the military implement its own security measures.
The development comes as long-range strike drones targeted Moscow overnight on May 4, with debris and damage reported just a few miles from the Kremlin. According to the Russian media outlet Astra, wreckage was filmed scattered across Mosfilmovskaya Street, an area located roughly six kilometers (about 3.7 miles) from the city's fortified center.
Video evidence indicates that the drone likely failed to reach a specific target due to being shot down by air defense units or neutralized via electronic warfare. Furthermore, footage of a drone traveling over the southern suburb of Drozhzhino confirms that unmanned aerial vehicles successfully breached Moscow’s metropolitan airspace.
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