Covid panic, no phone and hate for internet: 6 Vladimir Putin's secrets revealed

Vladimir Putin: Gleb Karakulov said that Vladimir Putin remains extremely fearful of catching Covid and fears assassination attempts.

A former Kremlin guard who worked directly for Russian President Vladimir Putin shared secrets about the leader in an interview with investigative website Dossier Center. Gleb Karakulov who served as a captain in the Federal Guard Service (FSO) before fleeing Russia. Gleb Karakulov said that he had accompanied the Russian leader on more than 180 trips.

Russian President Vladimir Putin. (via REUTERS)

These are top six claims made by the former Kremlin guard on Vladimir Putin:

1. Gleb Karakulov said that Vladimir Putin remains extremely fearful of catching Covid and fears assassination attempts. The Russian leader spends much of his time away from people in his private residences, called “bunkers.” He is still operating in a state of Covid lockdown and is “a self-isolating president.”
2. "We have to observe a strict quarantine for two weeks before any event, even those lasting 15 to 20 minutes," Gleb Karakulov said, adding, “There is a pool of employees who have been cleared—who underwent this two-week quarantine. They are [considered] 'clean' and can work in the same room as Putin.”
3. The former guard claimed that Vladimir Putin does not like technology and does not use a mobile phone or the internet. "He only receives information from his closest circle, which means that he lives in an information vacuum," Gleb Karakulov said.
4. For long-distance transportation, Vladimir Putin often uses his personal train"[b]ecause it is less conspicuous". “Planes show up on certain services/networks. [Trains] cannot be tracked on any information resource. It's done for stealth purposes,” the former guard said.
5. During trips to other countries, Vladimir Putin takes with him a “telephone booth” which contains a workstation and telephone using which the Russian leader communicates, Gleb Karakulov claimed.
6. On Vladimir Putin's health, Gleb Karakulov said that the Russian leader has regular medical checkups. "He is in better health than many other people his age," he added.