"Chasing containers" and guarding 24/7: SSU expert says Putin is better protected than Zelenskyy

Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin has built a powerful security system around him. First of all, this became possible due to the destruction of all political opponents of the regime.

This opinion was expressed in an exclusive commentary for OBOZ.UA by former Security Service of Ukraine officer Ivan Stupak. "Putin's security is extremely well organized," he admitted.

According to the expert, this is primarily because Putin has been in office for a very long time and has managed to get rid of all political opponents.

"Any of his competitors have been destroyed, killed, or gone abroad and died there, like Berezovsky. There are none left. Putin is surrounded by a tight circle of his bodyguards. They have an advantage even over the rest of the people in uniform," he said.

To confirm his words, Stupak cited the examples of two recent public events in which Putin participated and how security was organized.

"In March, Putin held a board of the FSS. These are his 'buddies' with whom he started working. But if you look at the video, the first two rows in the hall are empty. And these are the rows meant for generals and colonels – for people with gray hair who have been in this organization for 20 years or more. But Putin does not trust them," the expert said.

"A few days after that, the board of the Russian Interior Ministry met. And the first two rows in the hall were empty. Plus, about five federal security officers were standing near the stage, ready to pull out their service weapons and shoot any policeman who stood up at the wrong time," he added.

Stupak also said that any of Putin's movements are a secret even for the federal security service. "FSS officers don't even know when and where Putin will appear – in Valdai, Sochi, Crimea... They just do their job assuming that Putin is always here. They patrol with dogs, with metal detectors, watch 24/7, and so on."

In addition, "deceptions" are used, "when Putin seems to be leaving by plane, but he stays in the residence and later leaves by train."

And finally, sometimes the president's motorcade is driven through the streets without the president himself. "There is a way, it's called 'driving a container'. The president's motorcade – Mercedes, guards, escorts – is driven back and forth, but the president is not there," Stupak explained.