Only in the… pamaskofski, as Russians call the suburbs of Moscow, and Saint Petersburg has Vladimir Putin been for 196 days. The Russian President appears to believe that the Ukrainian threat within borders is at a sufficiently high level, forcing him to take precautions. At least this is the assessment, since during this specific period, okay, he has gone as far as… Dolgoprudny, but preferring Moscow and Saint Petersburg is concerning. According to reports, only during the coronavirus period had he distanced himself from the Russian provinces, but not for longer, as it was for 132 days in 2020, according to Agenstvo, which is described as an independent Russian media outlet. The Ukrainian drone attacks within Moscow served as undeniable evidence to increase security measures around the Russian President. Indeed, sources allegedly connected to Russian intelligence services emphasize that his movements, aside from being reduced, are pre-recorded.
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Vladimir Putin: The attack that grounded him
The six months, therefore, that he hasn’t ventured to the Russian provinces are now fully completed, since the last time was on November 6, 2025, in Samara. Since then, only Moscow, the capital’s periphery and Saint Petersburg – and even that sparingly. That is, Christmas service at special forces facilities, meetings with students in Dolgoprudny, a city in the Moscow region, and a wreath-laying ceremony in Saint Petersburg that took place without an audience. The attack that essentially forced him to remain defensively within the Kremlin was at his residence in Valdai, around the end of 2025. Outside the borders, no attack was reportedly acknowledged, however Russian authorities confirmed it. The Ukrainians denied it, emphasizing that it was a pretext for Russia to escape the peace talks that Donald Trump was urgently demanding.
From Europe, however, it is emphasized that Putin is afraid even within borders, as one assessment is that many Russians are no longer satisfied with their standard of living.
