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Putin Expands His Security Service’s Staff Once Again—Fourth Time Since Invasion
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Russian leader Vladimir Putin signed an order to expand the core personnel of the Federal Protective Service, marking the fourth increase since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Under the updated decree, the maximum staff allowance for the central office of the agency increases from 785 to 812 people, as reported by The Moscow Times on August 31.
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The prior increase went into effect on January 1, 2025, raising the limit to 785 personnel, following earlier expansions to 775 on January 1, 2024, and to 760 from 725 in late 2022.
Prior to the full-scale invasion, the agency had not expanded its central leadership structure for nearly 13 years.
The structure includes a dedicated personal security division for Vladimir Putin that accompanies him during travel and guards his residences and facilities. The agency also oversees specialized communication systems and tracks public opinion.
Following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the organization shifted into an independent center of influence due to its direct access to the leader and confidential data regarding top officials. Security precautions around the Russian leader have intensified in recent months, according to Financial Times.
Kremlin officials have voiced growing concerns over potential assassination attempts involving drones or possible coup scenarios. These anxieties grew after American military forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. As a result, Vladimir Putin reduced public travel while security screening procedures for meetings grew stricter.
During an official trip to Kazakhstan in late May, Putin’s convoy featured an armored vehicle fitted with a roof-mounted machine gun, an electronic warfare vehicle, and a helicopter.
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The Russian leader's fear for his own life has reshaped his movements for months. Since early March, Putin has suspended visits to his usual residences near Moscow and at Valdai, and has been operating instead from hardened, modernized bunkers in the Krasnodar region.
The Federal Protective Service has meanwhile expanded its priority-protection roster to include at least 10 senior military figures.
The mood among the Russian elite is even more pessimistic. Insiders cited by The Economist reveal a growing consensus that the nearly five-year war is a failure because of the sheer amount of time wasted, regardless of the outcome. However, the criminal logic guiding Putin’s regime dictates that he can never show weakness.
A failure to achieve even his minimum goal of capturing the entire Donbas region could put his life in physical danger. “They will hang me,” he reportedly confessed to cronies earlier in the war, The Economist wrote.
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