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Как охраняют Владимира Путина
17.03.2025
All the President’s Men
Who Protects Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin has been ruling Russia for more than 25 years, always surrounded by a tight inner circle. Some long-time allies, like his St. Petersburg acquaintances Yuri Kovalchuk, often referred to as Putin’s “personal banker”, and billionaire Gennady Timchenko, have remained close. Others, like former Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov, have gradually fallen out of favor. Some, like his childhood friend Pyotr Kolbin, former butcher turned oligarch, have passed away.
But among Putin’s closest people, one group stands apart. They do not seek high-ranking positions, yet they often attain them. They are loyal to the head of state and ready to protect him at the cost of their own lives. They remained by his side even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he isolated himself within his presidential walls. They keep his children safe.
They are Vladimir Putin’s bodyguards.
The Dossier Center has investigated how the Presidential Security Service (SBP FSO) operates, identifying the bodyguards and aides of Russia’s head of state, analyzing their movement patterns, and uncovering how Putin is shielded from assassination attempts, poisoning, and surveillance.
Table of Contents
Chapter I: «Committed People, Patriots»
”Fidel Castro told me, ‘Do you know why I’m still alive?’ I asked, ‘Why?’ He said, ‘Because I have always taken care of my own security myself,” Vladimir Putin recounted in a conversation with director Oliver Stone. FSO officer Nikita Belenky referenced the exchange in an interview for the movie Our Service: “Vladimir Vladimirovich has mentioned this. So, we are a product of his vision and his leadership. That’s why I am sure he trusts us and can rely on us.”
Belenky is a member of the Presidential Security Service (SBP), a key and essentially autonomous unit within the Federal Protective Service (FSO). The SBP is responsible not only for protecting the Russian leader but also for securing his many residences, preparing his meals, cleaning the premises, and even mowing the lawn at the Novo-Ogaryovo residence.
Belenky is one of the men who shadow Putin wherever he goes. He and his colleagues can be spotted in nearly every photograph of the Russian leader, both on domestic and international trips. These are his personal bodyguards. They rarely take center stage, yet they stand out in any crowd—especially Belenky. At two meters tall, he towers nearly a head and a half above Putin. In his youth, he was a professional basketball player.
Officers of the Presidential Security Service do not give interviews. While retired personnel may sometimes share details about their past work, active bodyguards are strictly prohibited from doing so—except in rare cases. In 2021, the “Tainitsky Sad” Foundation produced a documentary film to mark the 30th anniversary of the SBP’s founding. The film was shot at Putin’s Novo-Ogaryovo residence, and at least 11 people—from bodyguards to gardeners—spoke on camera.
It is evident that such access was granted because the foundation is connected to the FSO. Established by veterans of state security, it included former members of the 9th Directorate of the KGB of the USSR, which was responsible for protecting the country’s top officials. The production was led by the Masterskaya film company, headed by Saida Medvedeva, who also produced the documentary President to mark Putin’s 15 years in power. It is likely that Our Service was intended for a limited audience with ties to the FSO, as it was never broadcast on television and is not available to the public. However, Dossier obtained transcripts of interviews with the film’s participants.
Belenky had to quit sports after the death of his mother, as recounted in Our Service: “I talked to my father. He said, ‘Go follow in my footsteps.’ And the decision was made to join the service.» Like many in the SBP, Putin’s future bodyguard began his career in the Kremlin’s commandant service: «These are the guys in uniform at the posts. On holidays, on May 9, they are often shown on TV.»
However, not everyone in the SBP was recruited through the guard service. The Dossier Center identified 33 presidential bodyguards who accompanied Putin on trips throughout 2024. Their photos were published by the Kremlin press service without names, but they were identified using facial recognition technology.
Most of these bodyguards have—or previously had— social media accounts registered to their personal mobile phones. Others participated in sports competitions, with their names appearing in result tables. One officer attempted to remain anonymous but posted a photo of his epaulettes with a piece of paper attached, displaying his rank and real surname.
The average age of Putin’s bodyguards is 36. Most of them come from the provinces (14 individuals) or small towns in the Moscow region (10 individuals); 8 are from Moscow, and one is from St. Petersburg. All are from the European part of Russia, and most are notably tall.
This is one of the hiring requirements, as explained by SBP special forces chief Alexander Dumsky in the documentary Our Service: «An employee must see everything from above.» All of them have short haircuts. Mustaches, beards, tattoos, and piercings (at least on visible body parts) are prohibited.
Many bodyguards joined the service after graduating from the FSO Academy in Oryol, the main training unit for federal security guards, but some came from other structures. For example, at least two people previously served in the FSB, the successor to the KGB. Dumsky stated that presidential security often recruits from SBP special forces, which, in turn, select candidates from other agencies and directly from military academies.
There are also exceptions: SBP operational group deputy chief Mikhail Podrezov said that after graduating from the Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography, he first joined the FSO’s special communications and information service, changed his qualifications, and eventually moved to the presidential security service. Podrezov was also one of the protagonists in the film Our Service. × Among Putin’s bodyguards, Dossier also identified graduates of the All-Russian State University of Justice and MGIMO, Russia’s top university for diplomats, intelligence officers and government officials.
Bodyguards face the same selection stages as other FSO employees, undergoing multiple interviews. «The process was thorough: professional selection, a polygraph test, and various interviews. They studied who you were and what was going on in your head,» said FSO Captain Gleb Karakulov, who fled the country in October 2022, in an interview with Dossier. He worked in the special communications service, so in his case, professional selection included logic and math tests. The other stages are standard across the FSO. The polygraph is used to check for any connections to foreign countries or criminal organizations.
A psychologist also meets with each applicant, with the primary goal of confirming his patriotism.
«In a personal interview, we determine whether this person is making a conscious decision to join, whether it is truly their choice and not that of their parents or relatives who say, ‘Go here, it’s good, it’s prestigious, they’ll teach you everything.’ These are committed individuals, patriots of their country, who join the service to defend their homeland and serve the state. They follow the current government’s policies,» explained SBP officer Oleg Makhalin in the documentary Our Service. Makhalin is responsible for protecting official residences.
Another key criterion is physical fitness. «Of course, we have football and hockey players, but most of our people hold sports titles or ranks in various martial arts,» Makhalin emphasized.
Until recently, the official salaries of Putin’s personal security officers were relatively modest. Tax records show that one of them earned 56,000 rubles per month in 2015 ($922), while in 2018, three SBP employees had salaries of 80,000 rubles ($1280).
Since then, wages have likely increased, with several individuals now earning between 180,000 and 226,000 rubles ($1945 and $2443). This is higher than the average FSO salary. For example, Karakulov stated that by late 2022, shortly before leaving the country, he was earning about 82,000 rubles ($1197), and with travel allowances and paid overtime, his income could reach 100,000 rubles ($1460).
Climbing the career ladder and transitioning to a bodyguard position are not the only ways to increase one’s salary in the FSO. Another option is a short deployment to a combat zone without real risk to life. Gleb Karakulov told Dossier that a colleague from the presidential communications department flew with Putin to Syria: «Putin visited the airbase and spoke with the military personnel. Our employee never left the plane but still received the status of a combat veteran.» Along with this status came all the associated benefits. According to Karakulov, officers from the SBP special operations unit also became veterans in the same way after merely traveling to Ukraine.
Chapter II. Tracking Putin’s Shadow
«These teams are well-coordinated; people have been working together for years. Of course, they have radio communication, but there’s also a sense of camaraderie,» said Nikita Belenky.
The SBP’s travel unit consists of several individuals who do not leave Vladimir Putin’s side during his visits. Based on official photo archives, the bodyguards who most frequently accompanied Putin on trips over the past year were Anton Afinogenov, Andrey Annenkov, Alexander Gorelikov, Anatoly Kochkin, Konstantin Panin, Maxim Stepanov, Dmitry Fomin, Yaroslav Chubko, and Yuri Shchurov.
Dossier examined how several bodyguards’ phone numbers are saved in the contact lists of their acquaintances. This can be done using various apps, including Getcontact, which allows users to see how their saved contacts appear on other people’s phones. × Unusual tags were found for five SBP employees. The numbers of Pavel Gnezdilov, Maxim Gutsenko, and Vitaly Kemenov were saved with the note «mountain,» while Nikita Belenky and Andrey Lastovetsky had «shore» attached to their contacts. These may be the call signs of the SBP travel groups to which these employees are assigned.
The bodyguards travel with Vladimir Putin aboard the presidential aircraft. These trips do not appear in the national database that logs ticket purchases for all modes of transportation within Russia. However, officers’ commercial airline flights do appear in this system. A source provided Dossier with data from the database, revealing that Putin’s bodyguards frequently travel on flights to Sochi and Simferopol, as well as on high-speed «Sapsan» trains between Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Putin has three residences in and around Sochi: Bocharov Ruchei within the city, Achipse near the Krasnaya Polyana resort, where he and his family go skiing, and a palace on Cape Idokopas, located between Sochi and Gelendzhik. The latter is still under renovation, but given the scale of construction and expenses, it appears to be intended as the Russian leader’s primary residence.
Simferopol Airport is the closest civilian airport to State Dacha No. 6 in the village of Oliva, where Putin’s family usually stays in August. The «Sapsan» train stops at the Uglovka and Okulovka stations, where SBP officers disembark.
The same travel routes have been used by the mother of Putin’s children, Alina Kabaeva, her relatives, Putin’s daughter Maria Vorontsova, and longtime presidential associate Gennady Timchenko. This is how they reach the president’s residence on Lake Valdai, north of Moscow, a sprawling and lavish estate where his family spends most of the year.
Bodyguards Oleg Barchenko and Andrey Lastovetsky frequently travel along these routes. In recent years, they have visited Adler Airport at least 7 and 14 times, respectively. But this is far from the record.
Dossier identified three of Putin’s bodyguards who each flew to Sochi over 100 times: Vitaly Kemenov, Alexey Melnikov, and Konstantin Panin. These same officers were also the most frequent ticket holders for the Uglovka and Okulovka train stations. Kemenov traveled to Uglovka station at least 17 times, Melnikov 35 times, and Panin 48 times. ×
Kemenov has not been protecting Putin himself in recent years but rather his sons, according to a Dossier source from the president’s household staff. His frequent travel routes may suggest that he escorts Alina Kabaeva and her children on trips, then hands over security duties to colleagues before returning home—only to depart again later.
It is also possible that Melnikov and Panin are among the family’s bodyguards, though they continue to accompany Vladimir Putin as well. Another possible explanation is that these officers carry out special assignments for the president when he is, for example, in Sochi.
Whatever the true reason for these movements, the travel patterns of the bodyguards suggest that Kemenov, Melnikov, and Panin play a significant role in Putin’s inner circle.
In recent years, people from this close group have been appointed to leadership positions in both the FSO and other government agencies.
Chapter III. «The Chosen Caste»
«You can look at people who came from our service and see what they achieved. And I believe they got there deservedly because our system prepares highly qualified specialists; they are excellent managers. There is a term,‘crisis managers’;what we have is something similar, a kind of training ground for crisis managers,» said Nikita Belenky, noting that he himself is currently studying for a degree in public administration.
One possible career advancement for an SBP officer is the position of adjutant—essentially a personal assistant to the head of state who helps with paperwork, liaises with subordinates, and manages everyday practical matters. Adjutants are also assigned to members of Putin’s family, such as his younger daughter Katerina Tikhonova, as well as to the prime minister. The exact number of adjutants serving the Russian leader is unknown. However, Dossier determined that at least six people hold this position at the same time. The Dossier Center reached this to the preparation of two foreign visits and by reviewing contact lists from an individual personally acquainted with Putin. ×
Adjutants remain out of the public eye, but Dossier identified one current adjutant as Alexander Sevryukov, born in 1966. He traveled alongside the current director of the National Guard, Viktor Zolotov, as well as adjutants Alexander Kurenkov and Sergey Morozov, and Dmitry Verbov, the head of the main medical department of the Presidential Administration Dmitry Verbov.
When an adjutant is with Putin, he receives the official mobile phone. Dossier obtained the number, which appears in contact lists under the call sign «Zarya» («Dawn»). In the address book of an individual personally acquainted with Putin, it is saved as «on duty always.
Based on call records, only FSO personnel use this number, along with FSO director Dmitry Kochnev and presidential property manager Alexander Kolpakov. Dossier also discovered outgoing calls to the wives of Alexey Melnikov and Andrey Lastovetsky, suggesting that these officers might also hold adjutant positions.
However, the position of adjutant is not a mandatory step for career advancement. Many have moved up the ranks without ever holding this post. One of Putin’s most well-known bodyguards, Alexey Dyumin, stated in 2016 that he was never an adjutant but worked in the travel units and eventually rose to the position of deputy head of the Presidential Security Directorate: “An adjutant is a special caste of chosen people… I was part of a group of officers ensuring security across Russia and abroad, everywhere. I was just like everyone else. We were selected, we did what needed to be done, we carried out the tasks assigned to us.”
Dyumin was part of Putin’s security team from the first day he became prime minister in 1999. He comes from a military family, worked in the special communications service, and later transferred to the security detail of top officials.
Over the years, Dyumin’s responsibilities significantly expanded: “You have to be fully aware of the overall situation. Every morning starts with a report to the president on operational summaries. Not only do special services report to him, but you must also be informed about regional affairs and emergency situations… Sometimes, I had to relay orders to a minister or assign tasks to a regional governor.”
As a result, he was one of the first security officers Putin transferred to a leadership position in another agency.
In 2014, Dyumin was appointed deputy head of the General Staff’s Main Directorate (better known as the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency) and commanded special operations forces involved in the annexation of Crimea.
In 2015, he became deputy minister of defense, and in 2016, he was appointed governor of the Tula region. Since 2024, Dyumin has served as a presidential aide and secretary of the State Council, an entity significantly strengthened by Putin in 2020, though it has yet to become a key element of the political landscape.
A source close to the presidential administration believes Dyumin’s appointment is a test to assess his readiness to become a successor. Another source, also working within the administration, suggests it is more of an honorary retirement, noting that Dyumin was the only high-ranking official to publicly express condolences over the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, known as “Kremlin’s chef” and founder of the Wagner PMC.
Like Dyumin, other SBP members have also risen to prominent roles. Viktor Zolotov, who led the SBP from 2000 to 2013, was appointed head of the newly established National Guard (Rosgvardiya) in 2016. Adjutants Dmitry Mironov, Sergey Morozov, and Yevgeny Zinichev became governors of the Yaroslavl, Astrakhan, and Kaliningrad regions, respectively.
Mironov is now a presidential aide and head of the commission on public service, Morozov moved to the Federal Customs Service, and Zinichev, after a brief tenure as governor, led the Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) for three years before his death in 2021. His successor as minister was senior adjutant Alexander Kurenkov.
Alexander Kolpakov, who headed the “V” division of the Presidential Security Service (responsible for the Valdai residence), has then served as manager of all presidential properties.
Another head of the same division, Valery Pikalov, became deputy governor of St. Petersburg in 2019 and, as of 2024, leads the Federal Customs Service.
The Dossier Center discovered that Valery Pikalov owns two plots of land on the shore of Lake Valdai, near Vladimir Putin’s residence. According to property records (EGRN), their total area exceeds 7 hectares. Pikalov became the owner at the end of 2022. Satellite images suggest that the land remains unused for now.
The Federal Protective Service (FSO) in its current form is also the result of the work of Vladimir Putin’s bodyguards. Beginning in 2000, the agency was headed by Yevgeny Murov, a graduate of the Red Banner Institute of the KGB in the early 1970s and an officer of the First Chief Directorate, which specialized in foreign intelligence. Murov remained at the helm of the FSO for 16 years, surpassing the maximum term for holding this position, but he did not retire due to age—his departure came amid a corruption scandal.
In 2016, businessman Dmitry Mikhaltchenko, who had close ties to high-ranking security officials, was imprisoned. His primary patron was Murov: the businessman’s associates held key positions in FSO-affiliated structures, his companies profited from state residence renovations, and he owned the Bronka port—though the real beneficiary was the FSO director himself. Eventually, Mikhaltchenko was sentenced to a lengthy prison term on charges of fraud and smuggling, and the port was confiscated by the state. Law enforcement never questioned Murov, but he nonetheless lost his position—officially «at his own request,» according to a Kremlin press release.
Murov was replaced by Dmitry Kochnev. According to tax records, in the early 2000s, Kochnev worked in the Interior Ministry’s directorate for protecting government facilities and institutions. In 2002, he transferred to the FSO.
Although the leaders of the Presidential Security Service (SBP) are not young, they have all personally protected Putin. Kochnev, born in 1964, headed the SBP from 2015 to 2016 and accompanied Putin during the 2014 Sochi Olympics, his 2015 walk with Silvio Berlusconi in Crimea, and the «Immortal Regiment» march that celebrates Victory Day in Russia, just weeks before being appointed FSO director.
The second-in-command at the FSO, First Deputy Director Oleg Klimentyev (born in 1962), led the SBP from 2013 to 2015 and was also Putin’s personal bodyguard, including at the Sochi Games.
The current head of the SBP, Alexey Rubezhnoi (born in 1973), has held the position since 2016 and previsously ensured the president’s security, for example, during Putin’s visit to the UAE in 2019.
Chapter IV. By Plane, Train, and Yacht
«Our personnel remain behind the scenes. They undergo extensive training in organizing security operations, particularly in combat protection. Hopefully, they never appear in the frame and never will,» said SBP Special Operations Chief Alexander Dumsky in the documentary Our Service. «Our unit has worked everywhere, from the Arctic to the south. Recently, our officers even took part in an Arctic landing, making parachute jumps at the North Pole. But parachuting is just an example. The same applies to diving, and some of our officers have even had to put on skis for the first time.»
Not only do special forces operatives remain out of sight, but so do hundreds of other service members. The number of people simultaneously protecting the president can be estimated from construction records for the Novo-Ogaryovo residence, which Dossier has obtained. In the mid-2010s, the site saw the construction of a reception house, a hotel, a VIP garage, a kennel for service dogs, and several technical facilities. The hotel was designed to accomodate adjutants, travel unit staff, doctors, boat operators, as well as a gym and a wrestling hall. The building was meant to accommodate 116 security personnel, including five special forces officers. The garage was built to serve 32 drivers, who are also part of the FSO structure. Former FSO officer Gleb Karakulov provided similar figures. According to him, a full security team accompanying the president on foreign trips consists of 80 to 100 people.
The reception house includes an underground section spanning 3,135 square meters with ceilings 4.5 meters high. According to technical documents, it contains «refrigeration equipment.» The exact purpose is not disclosed in the materials, but it can be speculated that this is a wine storage facility.
During trips, the security team is divided into two groups: some travel directly with Vladimir Putin, while others arrive in advance, explained in the documentary Our Service SBP Operational Group Deputy Chief Mikhail Podrezov:
«A forward team consists of SBP and FSO personnel. This team, along with members of the presidential administration, protocol officers, and the press service, travels to the region where the event will take place. They handle all necessary preparations—determining the protocol details, what will be visited, how it will be unfold, what needs to be done, how we arrive, how we depart, what is required, and whom we meet. If I arrive in an unfamiliar place for the first time, I already know what to expect, what it will look like, and the nature of the event.»
Regardless of how Vladimir Putin chooses to reach his destination, the Federal Protective Service (FSO) arranges any mode of transport he may require. The fleet of vehicles is managed by the Special Purpose Garage of the FSO. In 2021, during trips across Russia, Putin’s car started being transported from Moscow instead of relying on vehicles provided by regional administrations. In certain cases, Putin’s convoy is escorted by combat helicopters, as seen during his visit to Chechnya in August 2024.
The FSO is also responsible for the armored train—not just its security but even its interior design. First Deputy Director of the FSO, Oleg Klimentyev, personally approved the design of the train’s cars, including the cinema, spa and beauty room.
The train operates with a specially selected crew. Within the operating company Grand Service Express, there is a dedicated unit based in Moscow. According to internal company documents provided to Dossier by a Russian Railways (RZD) source, this unit employs 13 people, including a special carriage attendant with clearance to classified information.
The president’s aircraft is escorted by fighter jets when necessary—not only on foreign trips but also within Russia. Around the end of 2021, thermal decoy flares were installed on board. At his residences, Putin is protected from aerial threats by Pantsir-S1 air defense systems.
Finally, FSO personnel also manage Putin’s yachts, with FSO officer Alexander Mozhaysky serving as the captain of Graceful. Dossier discovered that Mozhaysky was registered in Sochi at 10 Furmanov Street, a location belonging to the Federal Protective Service. He used a military identification document for registration. ×
Chapter V. Putin’s Chefs
«They are military personnel, holding different ranks—there are no other chefs in my service. This should be clear, and we should not have to revisit this. If someone wants to attach labels, that’s their business. There’s nothing unusual about it; this is just political maneuvering. There’s even a term—safe food. We do not hand over this food to anyone except FSO personnel,» Vladimir Putin said in 2018, in response to a question about «Kremlin chef» Yevgeny Prigozhin.
At the time, Prigozhin had long been known as a food supplier for the Kremlin and had personally served Putin at the table. However, he also founded the Wagner PMC and, in 2023, led a rebellion against Putin. He died in a plane crash. «This kitchen is where the final preparation takes place. There’s no time to cook meals from scratch. The food is brought in and finished here. Prigozhin used to work in this kitchen,» commented one of the figures in the documentary Our Service, as he guided the film crew through the reception house at Novo-Ogaryovo.
The rest of the president’s chefs are indeed from the FSO. «Without a doubt, every chef and every waiter is an officer— an active-duty officer who meets specific requirements. These include firearms training, combat training, and tactical training. In our free time, we also go to the shooting range and practice tactical maneuvers. So saying that we are just chefs is not quite right. We all serve our country; we serve the president of the Russian Federation,» explained a chef named Vladimir Olegovich in an interview for a film celebrating the anniversary of the SBP. (His last name was not disclosed in the film materials.)
The primary requirement of the job is safety. Chefs wear gloves, change uniforms several times a day, and make sure that their hands are free of cuts. Strict food storage regulations are followed—fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables are kept separately. Ingredients are carefully selected: the president prefers wild-caught fish, hunted game meat, and, for poultry, only farm-raised chickens from small farms. All food undergoes rigorous testing.
This protocol also applies to fish that Putin catches himself while on vacation and to game meat from hunting trips. «The president catches a fish and says, ‘I want to prepare this for dinner.’ We then call in specialists who conduct food safety checks. Nothing is served without testing. There are mobile laboratories and rapid tests that check for toxins, mercury levels, and any potential bacterial contamination.», explained Vladimir, a chef responsible for Putin’s meals.
The 72-year-old president follows a specific diet. According to his chef, he avoids processed foods and tries not to eat meat in the evenings. His favorite dishes include an eggplant appetizer made with tomatoes, cilantro, cashews, pine nuts, sweet-and-sour sauce, and cornstarch, as well as Olivier salad and wild animal liver. Putin does not drink regular tea. During official events, he is served rosehip tea and ginger. He rarely drinks alcohol.
Putin’s chefs accompany him on trips at all times, emphasized Vladimir Olegovich: «Where the leader is, we are there. Whether it’s a business trip, a vacation, or a private event, we are always nearby. When there’s a large event, we monitor it as well. Yes, there are additional staff who work at official gatherings, but we are present and oversee everything.»
If, despite all precautions, a spoiled or poisoned dish were to be prepared for the head of state, FSO personnel would taste it first: «Before the food is served, we try everything. We sample it, and each of us is responsible.»
Strict requirements apply not only to food but also to the surrounding environment. One FSO officer, while showing the Our Service film crew around the Novo-Ogaryovo residence, mentioned that Putin prefers «a specific temperature regime» and «no drafts anywhere.» The president’s office is cleaned daily with specialized products—a practice that began even before the pandemic—and rooms are aired out every day, except during the alder and birch pollen season. The film does not specify whether this is due to an allergy to tree pollen.
«There are women who handle the cleaning, and as the manager, you oversee it all, ensuring cleanliness, comfort, and compliance with all of Vladimir Vladimirovich’s preferences,» said Irina, an SBP employee since 2004, responsible for order at Novo-Ogaryovo. She was originally hired by Putin’s first wife, Lyudmila. «When we travel with him, we sometimes rearrange furniture. We make sure that the housekeeping staff cleans properly, thoroughly, and doesn’t miss a single corner. And whenever we cross paths with Vladimir Vladimirovich, he sees us, and I think it reassures him—because he knows everything is under control.»
Chapter VI. The Second Directorate
«When Putin became prime minister and was technically ranked lower in the bureaucratic hierarchy, an additional directorate was created to ensure he retained full access to all his established contacts. Previously, a single directorate managed these matters. But around 2008, before the ‘swap,’ a new directorate was established specifically to handle the prime minister’s security. And to this day, we still have two directorates. The First Directorate is responsible for the prime minister, and the Second Directorate is responsible for the president. Why the reverse numbering? Because, well, that’s how the swap worked,» explained Gleb Karakulov for Dossier, referring to the structure of the FSO’s Special Communications and Information Service.
Secure communications remain the only method of contact available to the head of state. Putin has repeatedly stated that he does not use a mobile phone or even a landline. But just how secure is this special communications network?
While examining Putin’s armored train, Dossier noted the presence of several communication devices: Ryabina-M radio receivers, Legend-2 R-439 satellite stations, the Azur signal processing complex, and the Azid radio relay station. These systems are far from modern—they have been used by the Russian military since the 1980s.
It is difficult to determine what equipment the FSO currently employs, as its procurement records are classified. However, Dossier analyzed contracts from 2014–2021, a period when some tenders were still publicly available. The buyers included the central and regional units of the Special Communications Service, the FSO’s Armament Directorate, and the Administrative Support Service.
The documents mention several key pieces of communication equipment: the R-169RRS radio relay station, MIK-RL and MIKRAN relay stations, the R-419MP Andromeda-D mobile radio relay station (mounted on a Kamaz truck and used by the military), the R-439-2P ground station, and dozens of additional components, including telephone sets with detailed specifications.
At Novo-Ogaryovo, antennas and receiver units for the radio relay station are mounted on a 63-meter tower. The signal is transmitted to Moscow State University on Vorobyovy Gory, where reception equipment is installed at a height of 116 meters.
Dossier consulted a military communications specialist to review the list of equipment. The expert, who requested anonymity for security reasons, concluded that the technology meets «high communication standards» and that details about antenna types would not help intercept the president’s conversations:
«The key factor is the software and signal-processing elements, which modify frequencies, interact with base stations, encrypt communications, and so on. Intercepting such signals—whether shortwave, longwave, or satellite—is extremely difficult and beyond the capabilities of most intelligence agencies.»
Chapter VII. Special-Use Locations
Every Russian intelligence agency has a signature, perhaps even legendary, headquarters. The FSB has its buildings on Lubyanka Square in Moscow, the SVR operates from a complex near the village of Bachurino, and the GRU is based in the «Aquarium» on Khoroshevskoye Highway. The only exception is the FSO.
The agency primarily operates from state residences such as Novo-Ogaryovo in the Moscow region and Bocharov Ruchey in Sochi. However, the FSO also manages other facilities.
Dossier has uncovered previously unknown sites that not only reveal details about the agency’s work but also indicate collaboration with an FSB division linked to the Novichok family of nerve agents. To determine where Vladimir Putin’s security personnel are active, Dossier analyzed geolocation data automatically transmitted by their mobile phones.
As starting locations, Dossier used the president’s residence in Novo-Ogaryovo and two restricted-access buildings in Moscow—the Special Purpose Garage on Mosfilmovskaya Street and the Special Communications and Information Service building on Bolshoy Kiselny Lane. The team analyzed geolocation data to identify which devices were present at these sites and then tracked their movements over a month.
The devices were later detected at the Kremlin, the Presidential Administration building on Staraya Square, the President’s Administrative Affairs Hospital on Michurinsky Avenue (where Putin undergoes periodic medical check-ups), the FSB headquarters on Bolshaya Lubyanka, and skyscrapers in Moscow City, which house several ministries and federal agencies.
Some of the identified locations stand out:
- Mansions on Kosygin Street – Built on Vorobyovy Gory (Sparrrow Hills) under Nikita Khrushchev’s orders for members of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. One of the buildings belongs to Putin’s close friend Gennady Timchenko, while others serve as guest houses and the Presidential Administration’s Reception House, where the daughter of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held her wedding. According to property records (EGRN), these residences are officially registered under the FSO. A character in the film Our Service mentioned previously working in the reception house for delegations on Vorobyovy Gory, helping organize various events. Putin’s bodyguards also visit Kosygin Street. Dossier found that two SBP officers, Andrey Annenkov and Yuri Shchurov, had food delivered to this address.
- Buildings on Teplostansky Passage – During the Soviet era, this complex housed a hotel for the KGB’s archive and library center. In 1991, members of the State Emergency Committee (GKChP) gathered there. Today, according to Rosreestr records, building 1A is occupied by the FSO, while behind its fence, building 1 houses the FSB’s Institute of Forensic Science, where operatives involved in the 2020 poisoning of Alexei Navalny worked. Officers from both agencies frequently cross paths—Dossier discovered that devices linked to the FSO often appear at the FSB’s forensic laboratory.
- Former Hungarian Trade Mission on Krasnaya Presnya – In 2008, this building was sold after Hungarian diplomats deemed it too large. The Ministry of Regional Development acquired it at an inflated price, leading to a criminal case opened by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Until 2019, the premises were used by the Ministry of Economic Development, but they are now under FSO control.
- Stalin’s «Near Dacha» on Starovolynskaya Street – In the 1940s, Joseph Stalin spent much of his time at this residence, which also housed Object No. 18, a small underground bunker for state leadership. In the late 1980s, a new house was built on the property for Mikhail Gorbachev.
Some of the devices detected by Dossier belong to the president’s bodyguards. They frequently visit Putin’s residences, and their movements align with his official schedule. For example, one security officer was in the Kremlin on February 7, 2024, when Putin held a meeting with government members. The same device reappeared in the Kremlin on February 19, coinciding with Putin’s meeting with Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozzhayev. On February 19 and 20, the officer was at Novo-Ogaryovo, and on February 24, at the Valdai residence.
Additionally, throughout February, an FSO officer visited the Flight Test Complex of Russian Helicopters at Chkalovsky Airfield and the government terminal at Vnukovo Airport.
FSO travel patterns suggest that Vladimir Putin may be using the armored train. Dossier identified multiple devices linked to the FSO that regularly appear at the special railway station on Industrialny Lane, the primary stop for Putin’s train in Moscow, where it undergoes maintenance. The train is also likely serviced at the Krasnaya Presnya and Vykhino depots, as FSO personnel frequently visit these locations.
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In January 2019, Putin visited Serbia. At the end of the trip, President Aleksandar Vučić invited his Russian counterpart to the unfinished Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade: «As I am told, there are tens of thousands of people gathered there who would like to see you.»
As the delegation left the church, they had to pass through a massive crowd—to the displeasure of Putin’s security. Footage shown on federal television captured security personnel tensely scanning in all directions, trying to shield the head of state from the people pressing in on him—even inside the building.
What the FSO officers saw outside, they liked even less, said Nikita Belenky: «The local side made a few mistakes—actually, not a few, but a lot. We found ourselves in the middle of the crowd when leaving the church. Thankfully, the crowd was friendly, which was a plus, but in our line of work, that’s still a challenging situation. There are cases with Berlusconi and American examples where objects were thrown from the crowd—God forbid, a weapon or something else. We were forced to form a tight ring around the president and escort him to the car, even pushing aside some of the local clergy. This was an unprepared crowd.»
Vladimir Putin rarely encounters an unprepared crowd—without undercover security officers embedded within it—and almost never outside of Russia, where he is not typically surrounded by dozens of special forces officers. At the same time, little is publicly known about actual assassination attempts against him. The last public criminal case that went to court dates back to 2012. After the war began, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, and American host Tucker Carlson both claimed that attempts had been made to kill Putin, but provided no evidence.
SBP officers do not discuss threats in interviews. The most serious incident on record was the arrest of several people near Novo-Ogaryovo who had knives and a non-lethal pistol in their car and, for unknown reasons, refused to leave, as recounted by officer Oleg Makhalin.
But the Russian leader is prepared for any scenario. Former FSO officer Vitaly Brizhatiy, who guarded the Crimean residence, said that Putin trusts only his bodyguards, while other security personnel are often kept in the dark about his plans: «They might tell people, ‘He’s resting at this dacha,’ and everyone rushes around protecting it, while in reality, he could be somewhere else.»
Gleb Karakulov recalled that Putin’s whereabouts were frequently concealed: «The guys would jokingly share how, when Putin was in Sochi, they deliberately created the impression that he had left. A plane would be brought in, a motorcade would drive out—but in reality, he was still in Sochi.»
The president’s trips are meticulously planned, and locations he intends to visit are inspected just hours before his arrival. At least a hundred people are involved in his security at all times—whether during trips or at his residences. These include experienced bodyguards trained in hand-to-hand combat, snipers, special forces, dog handlers, and divers. His food is tested for poison and sampled before being served. His residences are protected by air defense missile systems. His plane is equipped with thermal countermeasures and often flies under fighter jet escort. His armored train can withstand at least automatic weapon fire and moves without stopping, bypassing other trains on the track.
It seems that the only vulnerable point is his Valdai residence. A source familiar with it’s inner workings said it is possible to enter the premises when Putin is not there. That’s when security is slightly more relaxed—they may fail to check entry documents or inspect personal belongings.
Ilia Rozhdestvenskii, Denis Korotkov