Putin's security obsession reaches new extremes after 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin's fixation on personal security has escalated to unprecedented levels in recent times. His secrecy has reached such a dizzying degree that journalists have had to gauge the wilting of plants in his office to verify the timing of Kremlin-broadcast meetings, according to The New York Times. The Times pointed out that while a covert flight might seem audacious for a U.S. President like Donald Trump, it is a common practice for Putin.

According to The Washington Post on August 10, citing anonymous sources, Trump departed Turkey post-NATO summit via a meticulously orchestrated covert operation to evade a potential Iranian assassination attempt. The Post reported that Trump was concealed in a food delivery van at the airport before being covertly transferred onto a military aircraft.

Through their inquiries, NYT journalists discovered that Putin's residences house nearly identical offices. This enables the Kremlin to broadcast meeting footage without exposing the dictator's true location. Putin's security apparatus has constructed a specialized presidential train, complete with gym, spa, and specialized equipment, as well as dedicated rail spur connections at least three residences, as per NYT, citing media reports and satellite imagery.

Officials maintain Putin's secrecy by withholding meetings from the public until television broadcast, sometimes weeks later, and imply these meetings occurred on the same day. In Russian, this pre-recorded, delayed-release meeting is termed "canned goods" ("konservy"). Putin's obsession with secrecy and security intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitating a two-week quarantine before any meeting with him.

However, it reached alarming heights following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, especially as Ukrainian drones penetrated deeper into Russian territory, noted NYT. In Moscow, there is growing speculation among observers that some grand presidential motorcades may be decoys, meant to obscure Putin's actual whereabouts.

"Putin's public image is a complete fabrication from start to finish," investigative journalist Mikhail Rubin told The Times. Nonetheless, for the Kremlin, deception serves dual purposes: ensuring security and projecting an aura of constant activity and control. In July 2023, journalists scrutinized documents from various Russian state and private entities and discovered that Putin's special train cost 6.8 billion rubles, or $75 million.

In November 2025, Russian outlet Proekt revealed that a network of railways and stations had been specifically constructed for Putin's travel to his residences. Journalists reported in November 2025 that at least three identical offices had been established for Putin in various locations to prevent the disclosure of his location at any given time.