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Why Putin Is Avoiding Western Russia on His Latest Regional Trips
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Russian leader Vladimir Putin is preparing for a working trip to Novosibirsk next week. This will mark the fifth Russian region he has visited since resuming domestic travel after a long pause.
Out of the five regions on his itinerary since returning to regional travel, only one was located in the European part of Russia, according to Agentstvo News on August 7.
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The exact dates for the trip to the Novosibirsk region remain unconfirmed, but sources cited by Sib.fm suggest Putin could arrive next week. His schedule may include the opening of the Siberian Ring Photon Source facility and a meeting with regional Governor Andrei Travnikov.
Neither the Kremlin nor regional officials have made an official announcement regarding the visit.
Since restarting regional travel in June following a 223-day break that began after November 2025, Putin has steered clear of areas in European Russia frequently reached by Ukrainian drones.
Since resuming regional travel in June after a prolonged pause, Putin has largely avoided Russia’s European regions, which are frequently targeted by Ukrainian drones.
The exceptions have been Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Valdai, where he maintains residences, as well as Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, where he attended a previously scheduled Russia–ASEAN summit on June 17—marking his first visit to a Russian region in 223 days before traveling to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
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In contrast, Putin’s summer destinations have focused heavily on regions located further east. He visited Irkutsk on July 24 to inspect the local aviation plant, traveled to Omsk on July 25 for a bilateral forum with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and arrived unannounced in Krasnoyarsk Krai on August 3 to meet with Governor Mikhail Kotyukov.
Most territories visited by Putin this summer face minimal or zero drone activity linked to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Krasnoyarsk Krai has recorded no drone interceptions since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In Irkutsk Oblast, drones were reported only once, during a June 2025 operation targeting an airfield with devices launched locally from trucks. Omsk Oblast saw its first drone interception on July 6, 2026, when local airport operations were briefly halted and an oil refinery was targeted.
Tatarstan remains the single region visited by Putin that regularly experiences drone strikes. During his trip to Kazan, strict security measures were implemented, including drawing additional security personnel from other regions, restricting electric scooters on select streets, and warning local residents about potential cellular service interruptions.
The shift in travel patterns follows a prolonged pause that started after November 2025. According to a source close to the Kremlin cited by the outlet Proekt, concerns over personal security increased following a reported drone incident near Valdai in December.
During an unannounced visit to the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk on August 3, 2026, Vladimir Putin was met with an abrupt 50% drop in local gasoline prices, as gas stations previously out of stock suddenly reopened and slashed prices from 140 rubles ($1.72) to 67 rubles ($0.82) per liter to temporarily mask severe nationwide fuel shortages caused by Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refining capacity.
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