During the visit, another bilateral meeting between Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the meeting is scheduled for Friday, September 11.
Peskov said the two countries would discuss their bilateral agenda as usual. He added, “Many issues cannot be discussed publicly because some countries are trying to prevent us from further developing our cooperation. Therefore, such issues are being discussed confidentially, but in a very constructive manner.”
Putin has been in power since 2000. His tenure is the longest of any Kremlin leader after Joseph Stalin.
Putin, who is around 73 years old, is currently serving his fifth term as president. There is now little force capable of opposing his rule, and if he wishes, it is considered difficult to prevent him from remaining in power until 2036.
Among Russia’s many security agencies, one organisation is specifically dedicated to protecting the president and his family. It is known as the Russian President’s Security Service, or SBP.
The agency reports to Russia’s Federal Protective Service, or FSO. The FSO was established from Russia’s intelligence agency, the KGB. SBP security personnel, dressed in black suits and wearing earpieces, remain with Putin day and night like his shadow.
According to Russia Beyond, a state-owned Russian media outlet, when these agents accompany Putin during events abroad, they divide his protection into four security rings.
The first and closest ring consists of his personal bodyguards.
The second ring comprises security personnel who generally do not attract the attention of ordinary people.
The third ring is deployed around the perimeter of the crowd and prevents suspicious individuals from approaching.
The fourth and outermost ring is responsible for wider security.
Mark Galeotti is a Russia security expert and director of Mayak Intelligence, a consultancy that analyses security issues in Russia.
Speaking to BBC Mundo, he had said, “Putin does not particularly like travelling by helicopter. He generally travels in a large convoy accompanied by motorcyclists, several large black cars and other security vehicles. At such times, drones are often banned from the airspace. Traffic is also stopped.”
The Russian President’s Security Service, or SBP, also receives support from the Russian National Guard, known as Rosgvardiya. Some refer to the force as the president’s “personal army.”
The force is independent of the Russian armed forces. Officially, its objectives include protecting Russia’s borders, combating terrorism and maintaining public law and order.
In practice, however, protecting Putin from various threats is considered the force’s most important task.
Stephen Hall, a Russia scholar at the University of Bath in Britain, told BBC Mundo, “It is known to everyone that the Russian National Guard are largely Putin’s personal security guards. And the president is extremely safe within the protective shield of his other security agencies.”
The force is also known as being made up of some of the president’s most trusted associates.
In recent years, the number of soldiers in this security force has been increased by around 400,000.
Hall said, “This is a very large number. The number of guards in the US president’s security arrangement does not come close to this.”
It is difficult to know exactly which security measures are used to protect Putin and to what extent. However, the Kremlin and Russian security experts have provided some information about the arrangements.
Among the strictest precautions taken for Putin’s security are those related to his food and drink.
According to Mark Galeotti, Putin has a personal food taster because of fears of poisoning. Every food item prepared for the president is checked by the taster.
He told BBC Mundo, “This practice is more like that of a medieval emperor than a modern president.”
When Putin travels outside Russia, his team also checks every item that he is going to use.
Galeotti said, “Everything that Putin is going to eat or drink is brought by his team. For example, if there is an official champagne toast, Putin drinks champagne only from the bottle brought by his team. Not from other bottles.”
Another important security measure surrounding Putin is the restriction on smartphone use inside the Kremlin.
Putin himself once said that he does not use a smartphone. In an interview with Russian news agency TASS in 2020, he spoke about the issue.
He also said that an official telephone system is available when he needs to contact someone.
His advisers have also confirmed this. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has repeatedly said that Putin does not use a mobile phone because he does not have time for it.
However, Putin’s decision not to use a smartphone is also linked to his lack of trust in the internet.
He had previously indirectly referred to the internet as the “CIA”, the American intelligence agency. He had also urged Russian citizens not to use Google Search, believing that the United States monitors all information.
Galeotti said, “Putin rarely uses the internet. Everyone knows that he does not like phones. And that is fine. From a security point of view, he is sensible. Putin is absolutely right. Smartphones are not very secure.”
According to experts, information is provided to Putin through paper files. His advisers deliver these files to him.
Hall said, “Putin starts his day with three security briefings. One of them concerns the whole world. The second is about what is happening in Russia and the third is about what is happening among the country’s elite. This is the most important information for him and it determines his agenda for the day.”
He further said, “I remember speaking to diplomats and officials in the foreign ministry. They told me that if they had information that their intelligence agencies did not consider correct, Putin assumed that his spies were right and the diplomats were wrong.”
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