Russian security services stepped up protection around Vladimir Putin ahead of Victory Day, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
He linked the additional measures to the threat of possible Ukrainian attacks and said security around the president is traditionally tightened ahead of major state events.
At the same time, Peskov rejected reports in Western media and information published by IStories citing a European intelligence assessment that the Kremlin feared an internal conspiracy or assassination attempt against Putin.
Preparations for May 9 in 2026 involved unusually extensive restrictions. Ground military hardware was removed from the Moscow parade, mobile internet was restricted across dozens of regions, and Putin’s security detail was placed on a heightened footing.
Moscow had also announced its own May 8–9 ceasefire, while Kyiv proposed beginning a halt in fighting earlier and keeping it in place for longer.
The security measures were therefore part of a visibly more restricted and heavily protected version of Russia’s most important state military-patriotic holiday.