Terrified of killer drones and rising public rage, Vladimir Putin is purging rivals and hiding out as Ukraine’s strikes bring the war home to Russia
Paranoid Vladimir Putin is running scared from deadly Ukrainian drone strikes and purging political rivals as anger over his bloody war reaches boiling point. The tyrant is tightening his iron grip on Russia amid mounting fury over economic chaos, fuel shortages and deep strikes hitting the country’s heartland.
Fearing for his own life, the dictator has reportedly begun dodging trips to regions within reach of Kyiv’s killer drones. On a recent visit to Kazan, whole streets were put on lockdown, e-scooters were banned and the internet was blacked out to protect the petrified president.
During another stop in Siberia, fuel-starved locals were treated to cheap petrol just for his visit, only for prices to double the second his plane took off. At home, the Kremlin is unleashing a ruthless crackdown on anyone daring to speak out.
At least 23 politicians have been barred from upcoming parliamentary elections, with many jailed for allegedly displaying “extremist” symbols, including references to murdered opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
Even long-standing “systemic opposition” figures are fleeing for their lives. Boris Nadezhdin, a veteran politician long tolerated by the regime, has fled Russia after facing threats to his safety.
Yabloko, the sole party openly campaigning against the war, is now facing a total ban as the Kremlin scrambles to stop voters using the ballot box to register their fury.
Dr Nigel Gould-Davies, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said: “Now, in the fifth year of war, there’s no sense coming from the Kremlin that they are relaxed or confident in their control of public opinion.
“The fear of some challenge from below is deep enough that there is a kind of security-minded reflex twitching ever more forcefully.”
Despite the public rage, Kremlin lackeys have turned the brown-nosing up to eleven. State Duma chairman Vyacheslav Volodin led deputies in chanting “Russia! Putin! Victory!” five times, earning himself a medal for “valiant labour” from the dictator.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov went further, claiming on state TV that Putin’s rise to power proved Russia was “marked by God”.
But behind the propaganda circus, insiders say a terrified Putin is handing unprecedented power to the FSB security service to silence critics. The regime’s paranoia comes as Ukraine brings the war direct to Moscow’s doorstep.
A mysterious restaurant bombing on Kudrinskaya Square recently targeted top commander Aleksandr Chayko, leaving five dead, while a car bomb critically injured a leading Russian drone mogul.
To make matters worse, Ukrainian strikes have pounded mega-retailer Wildberries, wiping out a quarter of its warehouse space and causing billions in damage.
With Putin’s approval ratings plummeting and criticism spreading, the rattled tyrant is running out of places to hide.