Paranoid Vladimir Putin has banned aides from wearing wristwatches during private meetings amid mounting fears he could be the target of an assassination attempt orchestrated with James Bond-style gadgets.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the Russian despot, 73, is said to have introduced strict new security measures during one-on-one audiences at the Kremlin after becoming increasingly concerned about threats from within his own political system.
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Vladimir Putin banned wristwatches during his private meetings at the Kremlin.
According to reports from Russian and independent media outlets, officials attending meetings with Putin have recently been ordered to remove both electronic and mechanical watches – joining Putin’s existing bans on phones, tablets and laptops.
The restrictions are understood to have began in mid-April as security around the president intensified following fears of drone strikes, intelligence leaks and even the possibility of an internal coup attempt.
A source cited by outlet We Can Explain said: “Phones have long been banned, and now watches have been added to the restrictions – both electronic and mechanical.”
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Growing Security Fears Grip Kremlin
Officials removed their mechanical and electronic watches before seeing the president.
The absence of watches was noticed during recent meetings involving Yevgeny Pervyshov, governor of Russia’s Tambov region, and Artyom Zdunov, head of Mordovia.
Both men, usually seen wearing timepieces in public appearances, attended audiences with Putin bare-wristed.
According to reports, Sergey Kogogin, chief executive of truck manufacturer KamAZ, was also seen without a watch while meeting Putin despite wearing one days earlier during talks with Russian prime minister Mikhail Mishustin.
Sources familiar with Kremlin security procedures told us Putin fears watches could potentially be weaponized or used to track and target him.
One insider alleged the president has become increasingly suspicious of objects carried into private rooms and now insists on tighter screening procedures before face-to-face meetings.
Another source said: “There is a feeling inside the Kremlin that Putin trusts fewer and fewer people. The restrictions are becoming more severe because he genuinely believes there are threats coming from multiple directions, including inside Russia itself.”
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‘Octopussy’ And Spy Movies Fuel Assassination Fears
Putin covered his own wrist during a televised meeting to hide his watch.
Putin’s paranoia has fueled comparisons with classic espionage films in which watches double as concealed weapons or surveillance tools.
Security sources we spoke to referenced films including Octopussy and GoldenEye, along with The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Kingsman – where seemingly harmless accessories conceal explosives, tracking devices or poisons – have increased Putin’s paranoia similar everyday devices could be weaponized against him in a 007-esque assassination attempt.
Putin himself is said to have stopped regularly wearing a watch during official meetings, although observers noted he appeared to have one on during a recent appearance.
In another televised meeting, viewers noticed Putin deliberately covering his wrist with his hand, obscuring whether he was wearing a timepiece.
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The Kremlin restricted phones, tablets, and laptops alongside the new watch ban.
The restrictions are understood not to apply to every member of Putin’s inner circle.
Sergey Chemezov, the powerful head of defense conglomerate Rostec and a longtime associate of Putin dating back to their KGB years, was seen openly wearing a watch during a recent meeting with the president.
The tightening of security comes amid broader fears within the Kremlin over drone attacks and political instability following Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
Sources told us concerns about leaks and possible coup attempts have intensified since March.
Businessman and Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky said: “Putin is physically scared for his life because the Ukrainian drones have demonstrated their ability to strike unexpectedly.”
Russia’s war in Ukraine remains locked in a grinding stalemate, with intensified drone attacks, heavy casualties and territorial fighting continuing as Western allies maintain military and financial support for Kyiv.