The Kremlin has admitted it is boosting its security for Vladimir Putin due to fears of a Ukrainian assassination bid.
The move comes after a Western intelligence agency disclosed major new measures to secure the dictator's safety.
The unnamed European spy agency indicated that fear of a coup - possibly linked to former defence minister Sergei Shoigu - was the main reason for the security clampdown.
Putin's spokesman today claimed the reason was Ukrainian 'threats' ahead of a major military parade due to be held on Saturday.
The Russian security services are implementing additional security measures, 'given the rather complex operational situation against the backdrop of the terrorist threat posed by the Kyiv regime,' said Dmitry Peskov.
He did not comment on the coup speculation or another claim in the Western intelligence assessment - namely, that Putin has retreated to living in bunkers where he works 'for weeks.'
Peskov said: 'Just as with every head of state in the world, be it heads of state in America, heads of state in Europe, heads of state in Asia, and so on.
'With regard to the head of the Russian state, appropriate measures are taken to ensure his security.'
A Russian Federal Guard Service (FSO) armoured vehicle patrols central Moscow on May 5, 2026, few days ahead of the Victory Day military parade
Troops attend a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade at the Dvortsovaya (Palace) Square in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, May 5, 2026
The Kremlin has admitted it is boosting its security for Vladimir Putin due to fears of a Ukrainian assassination bid
Peskov sought to disparage the report earlier this week, saying: 'I have one question for you: who are 'European intelligence'?
'I am not aware of the existence of such a thing.'
Reports based on the European spy agency said security has been massively increased around the Kremlin dictator, who has abandoned his favourite palaces, fearing they could be targets of drone strikes by his own entourage.
'Since the beginning of March 2026, the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin have 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,' said the report from Important Stories.
'In particular, he fears the use of drones for a possible assassination attempt by members of the Russian political elite.'
Shoigu - who was Minister of Defence for the first years of the war and is now secretary of the Russian security council - is 'associated with the risk of a coup attempt'.
For years, Shoigu was Putin's vacation buddy in Siberia.
A bid to weaken Shoigu came last month with the arrest of his former deputy Ruslan Tsalikov, under suspicion of corruptly amassing an eye-watering fortune of almost £50 million in family assets.
Shoigu was first linked with coup fears in March.
The Federal Protective Service (FSO) has 'significantly tightened security measures' around Putin, says the report.
'Visitors to the Presidential Administration undergo two levels of screening, including a full body search by FSO officers,' said the report.
A Russian security officer remains atop an all-terrain infantry mobility vehicle amid increased security measures taken ahead of Victory Day
Russian service members take part in a rehearsal for the Victory Day military parade
'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.'
Putin lives with his glamorous Olympic gymnast partner Alina Kabaeva, 42, and their sons Ivan, 11, and Vladimir, six. The children use the family name Spiridonov.
The report alleges that 'since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, 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 region - frequently attacked by Ukrainian drones - is the location of his £1 billion clifftop Gelendzhik palace, equipped with multiple underground floors and likened to the lair of a James Bond villain.
The report notes that frightened Putin has halted visits to military infrastructure this year, when such visits were claimed to happen in 2025.
The report states that mobile internet is frequently cut off in Moscow, seen as a security measure.
'FSO officers conduct large-scale checks using canine units and are also deployed along the Moscow River, ready to respond to possible drone attacks.'
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky did not today repeat his threat to fly military drones to Putin's parade on Saturday - but made it clear that while Russia keeps attacking, it will face long-range missiles and drones.
'In response to Russia's readiness to engage in diplomacy, we will pursue diplomacy,' he said.