Putin’s Victory Parade directly threatened by Kyiv as it emerges the terrified leader is spending “weeks” sheltering in underground bunkers out of fear of a bloody ‘palace coup’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned the Kremlin its Victory Day Parade could be attacked in response to brutal Russian assaults on his citizens.
The threat was issued as four were announced dead in Moscow’s latest onslaught and as it emerged Russian President Vladimir Putin is becoming increasingly isolated, hiding in bunkers.
Sources have revealed the Kremlin leader is working and living in underground shelters “for weeks” amid escalating rumours of a major palace coup, according to intelligence. One theory and rumour is that Putin’s old friend and former defence minister Sergei Shoigu could be linked to an attempt to usurp Putin. As it emerged two men and two women were killed in attacks on Ukraine’s Kharkiv Zelensky said the May 9 Kremlin parade will be a shadow of previous celebrations.
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One of the most important dates in the Moscow military calendar it happens on Saturday but the Kremlin will be unable to show off as much military might as previously. Zelensky said: “Russia has announced a parade on May 9, but there will be no military equipment at this parade.
“This will be the first time in many, many years that they cannot afford the presence of weapons at the parade. And Ukrainian drones can also strike this parade. This shows that they are no longer as strong as before.” Terrified Putin has massively stepped security around himself amid fears of an uprising, sources have revealed.
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Fresh analysis cites an unnamed Western intelligence agency and is revealed by the independent Russian news outlet Important Stories. It says: “Since the beginning of March 2026, the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin have been concerned about a leak of sensitive information and, at the same time, about the risk of a plot or coup attempt against the Russian president.
“In particular, he fears the use of drones for a possible assassination attempt by members of the Russian political elite.” His Security Council Secretary, Sergei Shoigu – who was Minister of Defence for the first years of the war – is “associated with the risk of a coup attempt.”
A bid to weaken Shoigu came last month with the arrest of his former deputy Ruslan Tsalikov, under suspicion of corruptly amassing an eye-watering fortune of almost £50 million. The claims are based on the analysis of an unnamed “ intelligence service of a European Union country.”
The report suggests the Federal Protective Service (FSO) has “significantly tightened security measures” around Putin. It adds: “Visitors to the Presidential Administration undergo two levels of screening, including a full body search by FSO officers. The FSO has significantly reduced the list of locations regularly visited by the president; neither he nor his family visit their usual residences in the Moscow region [Novo-Ogaryovo] and Valdai anymore.”
Putin lives with his glamorous Olympic gymnast partner Alina Kabaeva, 42, and their sons Ivan, 11, and Vladimir, six. The children use the family name Spiridonov. The report alleges that “since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Putin has often taken refuge in renovated bunkers, particularly in the Krasnodar region, where he may work for weeks, while Russian media continue public communication using pre-recorded footage.”
This region – frequently attacked by Ukrainian drones – is the location of his £1 billion clifftop Gelendzhik palace, equipped with multiple underground floors and likened to the lair of a James Bond villain. Important Stories founder Roman Amin said: “The stalemate in the war in Ukraine, the painful Ukrainian drone strikes on oil infrastructure, and economic and social problems…were bound to eventually lead to a war between Russian power clans for the throne of the weakening dictator.”
Putin “who built this system of power himself, understands well what awaits him—hence the increased paranoia, the unprecedented isolation from the people and his own entourage.” The most recent Russian strike on Kharkiv killed four people and injured 16, regional authorities said.
The victims were two men aged 50 and 63, and two women, aged 41 and 52. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 155 drones overnight from Sunday to Monday, including Shahed-type UAVs and decoys. Ukrainian air defences shot down or suppressed 135 of them across multiple regions, while 14 drones struck targets at 10 locations and debris from intercepted UAVs fell at four additional sites.
