Paranoid Putin ‘has taken to regularly wearing bulletproof vests’ amid assassination fears

A paranoid Vladimir Putin is now said to be using body armor for many of his public appearances, fearing he could face an assassination attempt related to his war in Ukraine or by Islamic terrorists.

Two Russian officials plus a source close to the Kremlin told The Moscow Times that the country’s special services have “increased to an unprecedented degree the already strict security measures around President Vladimir Putin.”

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 press: ‘The Kremlin takes Vladimir Putin’s security very seriously. He is protected by an army of visible and invisible guards.’

The report claimed that the 71-year-old will wear body armor at outdoor events “at least until 2023.”

Putin plays with his jacket and moves awkwardly during the May 9 celebrations on Red Square, together with ex-Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu

Putin is seen wearing an oversized button-up jacket, which could conceal body armor. A member of his security team is seen holding a briefcase believed to be armor – or the nuclear football

A Russian source told the Moscow Times: ‘The Kremlin takes Vladimir Putin’s security very seriously. He is protected by an 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 Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. He is said to have regularly worn bulletproof vests at public events

The report continued: “He did this at 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 body armor under his jacket during a major appearance on May 9 in Red Square, when he presided over the annual Victory Day military parade commemorating the Soviet victory over the Nazis in World War II, it said report.

This is an event where his security is highly visible and snipers are present on the roofs around the square.

Footage of him walking with ex-Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu showed how uncomfortable the alleged body armor made him feel.

‘This year on May 9, the chef [Putin] wore clearly concealed body armor during the parade. And I think that precaution is necessary,” the official said.

“God protects the prudent,” said a second.

The news channel quoted Jade Miller, described as an independent British hostile environment and high-risk security adviser, who examined in detail the images of Putin at the Victory Day parade and concluded that he was indeed wearing a bulletproof vest.

“Putin appears to walk quite stiffly and no natural folds appear at the back of his overcoat when he walks and shakes hands with soldiers,” Miller said.

The frame of his upper body “looks unnatural and his shoulders appear rather broad and square, without any shaping of the back and shoulder blades.”

At one point, “part of his overcoat appears to become trapped under what could possibly be a ballistic vest.”

It was an unusually cold day for the time of year and many attendees had put on extra clothing.

But Putin “appears to be lifting and adjusting his shoulders in a way that shows discomfort due to the way a ballistic vest is designed to sit on the shoulders or collarbone,” she concluded.

Paranoid Putin regularly wears bulletproof vests at public appearances as the Kremlin increases its security, according to a report in the Moscow Times

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a concert marking the eighth anniversary of Russia’s annexation of Crimea at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, March 18, 2022

Security expert Andrei Soldatov, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and co-founder of Russian secret service watchdog Agentura.ru, said: ‘Putin is a quite unique leader in the sense that he usually agrees to increased security/ expanding the security perimeter when his guards ask for it’

The weight of such body armor can cause discomfort and irritation when worn for extended periods of time.

The British expert concluded that Putin was holding his overcoat high and could be seen “checking that it was closed, as if he were trying to ensure that no one could see an undergarment.”

She concluded: “In my professional opinion, Putin is wearing some form of ballistic protection while participating in the parade.”

On May 9, several security officers were visible, especially as Putin led the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the nearby Alexander Garden, under the Kremlin wall.

Some wore portable body armor designed like briefcases, while officers also likely held his nuclear briefcase containing the launch codes for Russia’s fearsome nuclear arsenal.

The news agency quoted security expert Andrei Soldatov, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and co-founder of Russian secret service watchdog Agentura.ru, as saying: ‘Putin is a quite unique leader in the sense that he usually agrees for more security/extension 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 goes along with their demands. And right now I think he’s going with them.”