Vladimir Putin has withdrawn to living in bunkers where he operates "for weeks" amid fresh concerns about a potential coup, according to a report citing a Western intelligence agency.
Security measures have been dramatically heightenedaround the Kremlin dictator, who has reportedly fled his preferred palaces, fearing they could become targets of drone attacks by members of his own inner circle. The new assessment cites an unnamed Western intelligence agency and has been disclosed by the independent Russian news outlet Important Stories.
"Since the beginning of March 2026, the Kremlin andVladimir Putinhave been concerned about a leak of sensitive information and, at the same time, about the risk of a plot or coup attempt against the Russian president," the outlet reports. "In particular, he fears the use of drones for a possible assassination attempt by members of the Russian political elite." It comes aftera lip reader exposed Trump warning Charles of Putin's alarming 4-word threat.
His Security Council Secretary, Sergei Shoigu - who served as Minister of Defense during the war's initial years - is "associated with the risk of a coup attempt". An effort to undermine Shoigu occurred last month with the arrest of his former deputy Ruslan Tsalikov, who is suspected of corruptly accumulating a staggering fortune of nearly $68 million in family assets.
Shoigu was initially connected with coup concerns last month. These allegations are based on the analysis of "an intelligence service of a European Union country". The nation has not been identified.
The Federal Protective Service (FSO) has "significantly tightened security measures" around Putin, according to the report. "Visitors to the Presidential Administration undergo two levels of screening, including a full body search by FSO officers," the report revealed.
"The FSO has significantly reduced the list of locations regularly visited by the president; neither he nor his family visit their usual residences in the Moscow region [Novo-Ogaryovo] and Valdai anymore," it states.
Putin resides with his high-profile Olympic gymnast partner Alina Kabaeva, 42, and their two sons, Ivan, 11, and Vladimir, six. The children go by the family name Spiridonov.
The report alleges that "since the beginning of the war inUkraine, Putin has often taken refuge in renovated bunkers, particularly in the Krasnodar region, where he may work for weeks, while Russian media continue public communication using pre-recorded footage."
This area — regularly targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes — is home to his $1.35 billion clifftop Gelendzhik palace, complete with multiple underground floors and widely compared to the lair of a James Bond villain. The report further notes that a rattled Putin has suspended visits to military installations this year, despite such visits being claimed to have taken place in 2025.
Source: Drudge Report
