Putin’s Security Detail Tightens as Anti-Aircraft Guns and Armored Ramp Appear in Vladivostok

An anti-aircraft machine gun vehicle joined Vladimir Putin’s motorcade in Vladivostok, while troops and military equipment lined the route taken by the Russian president during his visit to the Eastern Economic Forum.

Images published by the local Svodka-25 page showed the motorcade near Vladivostok airport. The security measures caused complaints from some local residents, who said road closures had created traffic jams in chat groups.

Another unusual feature drew attention: Putin descended from his plane using a ramp enclosed by an arched protective structure. According to Sibir. Realii, this was the second time such a construction had been used around the Russian leader. A similar structure appeared during his August 31 visit to Bishkek for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. During recent visits to Kazakhstan, Novosibirsk and India, he used an ordinary aircraft staircase without the enclosure.

Military expert David Sharp said the changes could form part of a strengthened security arrangement. If the transparent structure around the ramp is made of armored glass, he said, it could provide additional protection during the vulnerable period between leaving the aircraft and being taken into the custody of bodyguards.

International media have linked the reported security upgrades to increasingly frequent Ukrainian drone attacks inside Russia. The Financial Times reported in May, citing sources, that Putin’s protection detail had been significantly strengthened and that he had begun spending more time in underground bunkers because of alleged security concerns. The Kremlin has not officially confirmed those claims.

An armored vehicle with a machine-gunner position and a car equipped with an electronic warfare system were also seen in the presidential motorcade for the first time in May. A helicopter reportedly monitored the airspace along the route. The New York Times reported in August that concerns about Putin’s security had grown as Ukrainian drones reached deeper into Russian territory, including the Moscow area.