Vladimir Putin has been spending increasing amounts of time in “bunker-type premises” due to Ukraine’s newly-apparent ability to strike Russian territories deep behind the front lines, while an outbreak of flu in the Kremlin has excited his hypochondriac tendencies once again. According to Russian sources, a major flu outbreak has hit Kremlin officials with Putin’s annual address to the upper house of Parliament expected to be cancelled in light of this revelation. The Russian autocrat has already cancelled his yearly press conference, reportedly over fears the event will be “hijacked” by those with “anti-war feelings”, and further reports claim Putin is now looking to hide away in a bunker while the apparent flu, the longer range Ukrainian strikes and the anti-war sentiment prevail.
After the destruction of two Russian airfields hundreds of miles from Ukraine, including Engels air base, which was known to contain strategic bombers used to carry out strikes against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, reports have said Putin is “seriously concerned” for his safety.
“The recent strike on military airfields deep in Russia has caused Putin serious concern,” said General SVR Telegram channel.
The outlet added that Putin and his close family have now decided to spend their annual New Year vacation in a bunker east of the Ural Mountains, as opposed to their usual spot by the Black Sea.
The new location is more than 1300 kilometres (848 miles) west of Moscow and more than 1,000 miles from Ukraine; his usual Black Sea holiday destination would put him within the range of Ukraine’s most recent strikes.
The General SVR Telegram channel, which claims to have intelligence from Kremlin insiders, said Putin’s “security measures” to ensure his safety against Ukrainian strikes has “really intensified”.
They reported: “Attacks on military airfields in Russia have seriously alarmed Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Despite the president’s order to strengthen security measures at strategic facilities, the already prohibitive security measures of Vladimir Putin himself have really intensified. Putin has begun to spend more time in bunker-type premises.”
It comes as media outlets reported that “many people in the Kremlin were down with flu”, attributing the infection disclosure to Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
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The set of unusual cancellations and changes in holiday plans, all of which are long-standing indulgences of Putin – last year, he spoke for four hours during his press conference about the brilliance of Russia – followed by a series of humiliations in Ukraine.
Putin was reported to have believed the invasion, which began on February 24, would be complete in a matter of days, but as the war enters its tenth month, nearly 100,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Ukraine, the Russian border with NATO is set to double with Finland’s accession and the domestic economic is quickly collapsing.
What’s more, on the battlefield, Crimea in the south now looks like it could be recaptured by Ukraine’s liberating forces, a move that would spell disaster for Russia as they would lose access to Sevastopol, their only warm water port permitting them to trade during the winter months.
Putin’s cancellations and move to the Ural Mountains, reports have suggested, could be the prelude to his total withdrawal from the public as his “special military operation” collapses.
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