Bulletproof Boarding Ramp and an Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun: How Putin Is Beefing Up His Personal Security

Residents of Vladivostok have complained about widespread street closures and massive traffic jams caused by unprecedented security measures during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit. Troops in full combat gear were stationed along the presidential motorcade's route, The Moscow Times reports.

Particular attention was drawn to a special boarding ramp brought up to the president's plane. According to military expert David Sharp, the mobile ramp is essentially a tunnel made of bulletproof glass — designed to protect the president at his most vulnerable moment, as he descends the steps before reaching the ground.

Putin's security detail used this type of ramp for the first time on August 31, during his trip to Bishkek for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. By comparison, when Putin visited Kazakhstan in May, Novosibirsk in August, and India in December last year, he used a conventional, open ramp. Sharp believes the appearance of the glass-enclosed structure is directly linked to the recent sharp tightening of security measures.

Bunkers and an Armored Vehicle With a Machine Gun

Russian and Western media had already reported on the strengthening of Putin's security several months earlier. In early May, sources cited by the Financial Times said security around the president had noticeably tightened: according to their information, Putin has been spending more time in underground bunkers due to fears of a possible assassination attempt.

In May, an armored vehicle equipped with a gunner's position was spotted in the presidential motorcade for the first time, alongside a vehicle carrying electronic warfare equipment. At the same time, a military helicopter monitored the airspace above the motorcade's route.

A source close to the Kremlin told The New York Times that when the president travels, Russian security services even resort to disinformation tactics: Putin's motorcades sometimes drive through Moscow without the president actually inside, so that potential attackers cannot pinpoint his real location.

As The New York Times reported on August 12, Putin's fears of a possible assassination attempt have grown since Ukrainian drones began penetrating deeper into Russian territory and intensifying their attacks on Moscow.

Source: novinky.cz