Putin Reportedly Wearing 'Bulletproof Vest' on All Outings

Vladimir Putin is now wearing a bulletproof vest at all public events, two Russian officials and a source close to the Kremlin have told an independent online newspaper.

It is further evidence of perceived threat levels against the Russian president, following reports that he has a special team check his meals for poison, and takes personal chefs and groceries with him on trips. He has also been photographed at a long table with a large distance between himself and visitors.

The Russian president's personal security was ramped up last year amid the ongoing war in Ukraine on the recommendation of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Presidential Security Service (SBP), a unit within the Federal Guard Service (FSO), The Moscow Times reported on Tuesday.

It has previously been widely reported that the 71-year-old adheres to a number of other security measures, although it has been speculated that the long table signaled Putin's fear of COVID-19. In other cases, a barrier has been erected in front of the president on stage, separating him from his audience.

But the Russian intelligence services' advice to always wear a bulletproof vest during public events was unprecedented, according to the two Russian officials. Putin began wearing the body armor in 2023, one official who has seen Putin in person during a number of his public outings told The Moscow Times.

Putin, for example, was wearing the protective clothing under his coat while attending a parade in Moscow last month to mark May 9, or Victory Day, which is the annual commemoration of Nazi Germany's defeat during World War II, one of the two Russian officials said.

"The Kremlin takes Vladimir Putin's security very seriously. He is protected by a whole army of visible and invisible guards," a Russian official who attended the event told the publication.

Putin was "clearly wearing concealed body armor during the parade," the first official said, adding that they believe the precaution is necessary.

"God protects the cautious," the second official added.

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment by email.

The Moscow Times asked Jade Miller, an independent British hostile environment and high-risk security consultant, to analyze footage of Putin at the May 9 Victory parade. She assessed that he was wearing a "bulletproof vest" concealed under his coat.

His upper body frame looked unnatural and his shoulders appeared "rather wide and square," while Putin appeared to be "walking in a rather rigid manner," said Miller.

"Putin is observed to keep his overcoat fastened up high and is seen to be checking that it is closed, as though he is trying to ensure no one can see an undergarment," she continued.

Miller added: "In my professional opinion, Putin is wearing some form of ballistic protection during his time attending the parade."

A source close to the Kremlin confirmed other precautions are taken by Putin's team to ensure his safety, such as having a special team check his meals for poison, and taking personal chefs and groceries on trips with him.

In December, an investigation by Proekt, a Russian independent media outlet banned by the Kremlin, found that Putin had been making fewer public appearances than would be expected, and that out of the meetings he held, he attempted to keep his distance from others in nearly half of them.

"And on the street, Putin's interlocutors are forced to stand at a distance of more than 10 meters [33 feet] from him, behind a specially drawn red line," said Proekt.

"In theory, this can be explained by the desire to protect himself from [COVID-19]. But sometimes Putin still needs to communicate with people in person, and then the Kremlin resorts to wild (from the point of view of public policy) security measures," the outlet added.

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