Putin 'Pathologically Afraid For His Life,' Says Top Russian Official Who Defected Last Year

An officer in Russia's secretive personal security service, who defected last year after Moscow invaded Ukraine, shared rare information about the Russian president’s cautious and suspicious way of life.

What Happened: Gleb Karakulov, who served as a captain in the Federal Protection Service (FSO), said Russia has a covert railway system, offices that were identical in various cities, a rigorous personal quarantine, and increasingly strict security measures for Vladimir Putin, reported The Guardian.

Karakulov, who worked for a powerful body tasked with protecting Russia's highest-ranking officials, said these measures were put in place to mask the whereabouts of the Russian president, whom he said was "pathologically afraid for his life."

See Also: Kremlin Sees Putin Winning Big In 2024 Russia Election On Back Of Ukraine Territory Grabs

The 36-year-old Russian defector said Putin used trains because they "cannot be tracked on any information resource. It's done for stealth purposes."

Karakulov served in the “field team” of the Presidential Communications Directorate, which encrypts messages of important Russian officials. He claimed to have accompanied top officials on over 180 trips. 

"Our president has lost touch with the world," Karakulov said, calling Putin a "war criminal" and asking fellow mates to come forward with information hidden from the Russian civilians.

 "He has been living in an information cocoon for the past couple of years, spending most of his time in his residences, which the media very fittingly call bunkers. He is pathologically afraid for his life. He surrounds himself with an impenetrable barrier of quarantines and an information vacuum. He only values his own life and the lives of his family and friends."

Read Next: EXCLUSIVE: Putin’s Faltering War In Ukraine Has Exposed Russia’s Limitations, Says Expert