Vladimir Putin appears to be so worried about a potential assassination that he made his security team search sewers for threats near a venue where he was speaking.
Video footage showed men opening manhole covers on streets near the National Centre of Russia in central Moscow.
The Kremlin dictator was addressing a session at the centre amid claims that he was ‘dragging his heels’ over Donald Trump’s attempt to enforce a ceasefire in Putin’s war against Ukraine.
‘All sewer hatches and garbage dumps’ had been checked carefully before the despot began speaking, local media reported.
It comes as a source close to the Kremlin and two Russian officials said the country’s special services previously ‘ramped up the already strict security measures surrounding Putin to an unprecedented degree’.
His speech at the National Centre of Russia went without a hitch after the thorough searches. Putin praised the role of war veterans from the conflict in Ukraine in a speech aimed at boosting patriotism.
‘It is very important for children to see that real heroes are very close [and] grow and mature [seeing] examples of true valour and love for the Motherland,’ he said.
‘Immersion in the events of the war years helps preserve the living fabric of historical memory about the feat of our people.
‘It gives the most important moral guidelines, which, I am sure, the guys will keep for the rest of their lives and pass on to future generations of Russians.’
It’s ironic Putin is fearful of being assassinated – given dozens of his political opponents and critics have died over the last 25 years, while others survived suspected assassination attempts.
Assassination attempts against Putin’s enemies have been common during his nearly quarter century in power.
Those close to the victims and the few survivors have blamed Russian authorities, but the Kremlin has routinely denied involvement.
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There also have been reports of prominent Russian executives dying under mysterious circumstances, including falling from windows, although whether they were deliberate killings or suicides is sometimes difficult to determine.
Putin’s worries seem to be exacerbated as peace talks are becoming increasingly difficult.
Today, Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of breaking the terms of a tentative US-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said Ukrainian drone attacks hit an electric facility in the Bryansk region early on Wednesday and a power grid facility in the Kursk region on Tuesday, leading to a power cut affecting thousands of people.
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