Bodyguards with bulletproof briefcases and high-powered pistols, body doubles and food tasters are just some of the ways in which Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly protects himself from would-be assassins.
"Somebody in Russia should kill this guy," U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine.
But Putin, a former KGB agent who has been in power since he came to power in 2000, is apparently obsessed with both his safety and his health - protecting himself from assassins and avoiding COVID-19 at all costs, as evidenced by the lengths he has gone to to avoid contracting the virus.
Recent photos show him meeting with world leaders and even his own advisers at opposite ends of extremely large tables to maintain a distance of at least 20 feet between them, and wearing a hazmat suit - complete with full-face respirator - before visiting a Moscow hospital treating coronavirus patients in April 2020.
His bodyguards
His bodyguards are a special group through Russia's Federal Protective Service (FSO), which has its roots in 1881, when Tsar Alexander III was surrounded by guards after his father was executed by a bomb-throwing revolutionary.
These men are selected according to strict criteria not only for their physical strength - they must be able to withstand the cold and not sweat in the heat - but also for their psychology at the time of action.
They carry special briefcases that they can use as a shield to protect Putin and Russian SR-1 Vektor 9 mm pistols.
When Putin travels, special teams examine the destinations months in advance to see how the public will react and whether there are any risks such as bad weather, natural disasters, etc.And where he stays, special devices jam the signal to prevent the remote detonation of a bomb, and all cell phones and other devices in the area are monitored electronically.
On the road, Putin moves in a convoy of armored vans carrying armed agents and portable anti-aircraft missiles.
And when he steps outside, he is surrounded by four security circles, with his personal bodyguards closest, some hidden among the crowds, others controlling the perimeter and snipers on nearby rooftops.
The lookalikes
Rumors that Putin uses lookalikes when he visits dangerous places have been circulating for years. He said in a 2020 interview that every time it is suggested to him he refuses.
But he certainly has someone who tastes every meal served to him to make sure it is not poisoned.
The coronavirus
Photos of his meetings with foreign leaders, where he had them sit at the other end of tables of characteristically long length, apparently to avoid close contact, have caused a sensation. And in April 2020, he wore a hazmat suit and covered his entire face to visit a hospital with coronavirus patients.
With information from New York Post/in.gr
Contents of this article including associated images are belongs Cyprus Times
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
Source
