Drones, Portable Commode And Armoured Limousine: Inside Vladimir Putin’s 5-Layer Security Ring

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s high-stakes visit to India has triggered an unprecedented five-layer security ring. The ring comprises cutting-edge technology, elite commandos, and tight personal protocols. As New Delhi turns into a fortress, the security apparatus around Putin showcases the lengths taken to ensure his safety and comfort during his stay.

The 5-layer security shield

Security is layered at different levels and comes into effect from the moment Putin's plane touches down. The outermost layer is provided by the Delhi Police for crowd control and route security. The second tier consists of India's own counter-terrorism quick reaction/security force, the National Security Guard (NSG), along with the country's elite Presidential Security Service (FRC), which is tasked with close protection and logistics for all such VIPs. It forms layers three and four. The SPG commandos join the inner security ring whenever Putin is present, together with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, forming possibly the only occasion where the two countries' top protection units are present together.

Tech-driven surveillance

Special drones with real-time monitoring and video cameras for face recognition will cover the route of Putin's cavalcade in New Delhi. There are also snipers positioned along the route, jammers, and artificial intelligence that detects anything suspicious along the route. Every move is tracked from a central control room, and security personnel will also be in constant contact with the command centre.

Personal arrangements

Putin’s security team goes to extraordinary lengths to ensure his comfort and safety. His personal protocol includes a portable commode, allowing him to avoid using public restrooms, which is a measure reportedly taken to prevent any biological samples from falling into foreign hands. His armoured Aurus Senat limousine, equipped with advanced defensive features, has been flown in from Moscow. The team also brings its own food tasters and medical units, and even collects and seals his biological waste during foreign visits.

Putin’s Career and Security Legacy

Born in 1952 in Leningrad, Putin studied law at Leningrad University before joining the KGB, where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. After retiring from the KGB, he entered politics, serving as Deputy Mayor of St. Petersburg and later moving to Moscow as Head of the Department of Estates in the Kremlin. He was appointed Director of the FSB, which replaced the KGB, in 1998 after serving as Deputy Chief of the Presidential Staff in 1997. He was the Security Council's secretary by August 1998. Yeltsin, looking for a successor, noticed Putin and appointed him Prime Minister in 1999. In December 1999, Putin became Acting President, serving two terms before becoming Prime Minister and then President again in 2012. Since then, he has remained at the helm of Russia, with his security arrangements becoming increasingly sophisticated.

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