Vladimir Putin assassination fears highlighted as bodyguard spotted with device
Vladimir Putin's fear of assassination has perhaps never been more apparent after a seasoned analyst spotted a key detail on one of the Russian despot's bodyguards.
Putin, 72, has reportedly long feared assassination, and is said to have employed a series of measures over the years - including allegedly deploying masked servicemen as body doubles. His fears are said to have surged after launching his "special military operation" invasion of Ukraine, with potential Ukrainian retaliation said to be one of the reasons he has refused to meet for bilateral ceasefire negotiations with Volodymyr Zelensky.
Now, a Ukrainian analyist claims to have spotted a key detail on one member of the Russian despot's security detail highlighting his fears of assassination from the air.
The agent, dressed in a suit and black coat, appears to be holding a 'fire and forget' Yolka - used to down incoming explosive unmanned planes. With two hands on the device, the ready-to-use kinetic interceptor is only partially hidden in a bag.
The footage was reportedly shot at Russia 's Victory Day parade on Red Square in May but has only now come to light. The secret serviceman can be seen walking close to Putin while the Russian president speaks with military personnel. The device was spotted and analysed by Serhii Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian military analyst.
It's believed the aim is to protect the Russian dictator from a potential Ukrainian drone strike while out in public. Another Russian agent is seen carrying Putin's suspected nuclear briefcase, used to launch an atomic strike on enemies.
During the Red Square event, for the first time a special canopy was installed above the main grandstand — seen as offering protection against Ukrainian drones. The Yolka, a compact, quadcopter-style drone with fixed X-shaped wings and kinetic targeting capabilities, is used to destroy military drones and is now being used by Putin himself as an extra security measure.
The device autonomously homes in on a target deploying AI-enabled optical tracking. Having intercepted the target after being manually shot by a person at ground level, it either causes the drone to explode or brings it down.
It was fear of Ukrainian drone strikes on Putin that led to him cancelling the usual annual full-scale warship parade in the Gulf of Finland marking Russia's Navy Day on Sunday. Instead, more modest events were staged with Putin's involvement. The Kremlin said the decision had been taken for 'security reasons' amid the war with Ukraine.
It comes as US President Donald Trump set a new deadline for Putin to come to the table for ceasefire talks with Ukraine. Trump had originally given the Russian tyrant 50 days - which would expire on September 3. But speaking ahead of talks with Keir Starmer in Scotland on Monday, he said he would shorten the timeline to 10-12 days - which would make the deadline almost a month sooner, between August 7-9.
Trump repeated his criticism of Putin for talking about ending the war but continuing to bombard Ukrainian civilians. "He talks. We have such nice conversations and such respectful and nice conversations and people die the following night with a missile going into a town," Trump said. He added: "And I say, that's not the way to do it. I'm disappointed in President Putin."
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Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
Stakes rise in Russia-Ukraine war as Trump's deadline for Kremlin approaches
Mr Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff was expected in Moscow in the middle of this week, just before Mr Trump's Friday deadline for the Kremlin to stop the killing or face potentially severe economic penalties from Washington. Previous Trump promises, threats and cajoling have failed to yield results, and the stubborn diplomatic stalemate will be hard to clear away. Meanwhile, Ukraine is losing more territory on the front line, although there is no sign of a looming collapse of its defences. Emergency workers inspect damage from a Russian missile (Efrem Lukatsky/AP) Mr Witkoff was expected to land in the Russian capital on Wednesday or Thursday, according to Mr Trump, following his trip to Israel and Gaza. 'They would like to see (Witkoff),' Mr Trump said on Sunday of the Russians. 'They've asked that he meet so we'll see what happens.' Mr Trump, exasperated that Russian president Vladimir Putin has not heeded his calls to stop bombing Ukrainian cities, a week ago moved up his ultimatum to impose additional sanctions on Russia as well as introduce secondary tariffs targeting countries that buy Russian oil, including China and India. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that officials are happy to meet with Mr Trump's envoy. 'We are always glad to see Mr Witkoff in Moscow,' he said. 'We consider (talks with Witkoff) important, substantive and very useful.' Mr Trump said on Sunday that Russia has proved to be 'pretty good at avoiding sanctions'. 'They're wily characters,' he said of the Russians. The Kremlin has insisted that international sanctions imposed since its February 2022 invasion of its neighbour have had a limited impact. Ukraine insists the sanctions are taking their toll on Moscow's war machine and wants Western allies to ramp them up. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday urged the United States, Europe and other nations to impose stronger secondary sanctions on Moscow's energy, trade and banking sectors. Mr Trump's comments appeared to signal he does not have much hope that sanctions will force Mr Putin's hand. The secondary sanctions also complicate Washington's relations with China and India, who stand accused of helping finance Russia's war effort by buying its oil. Since taking office in January, Mr Trump has found that stopping the war is harder than he perhaps imagined. Senior American officials have warned that the US could walk away from the conflict if peace efforts make no progress.
