Paranoid Putin forces staff to strip off watches in meetings over 007 death plot terror

 Russia President Vladimir Putin has reportedly exhibited paranoid behaviour amid heightened fears of an assassination attempt. The 73-year-old leader has consequently ordered officials to remove wrist watches and keep tight restrictions on devices during one-on-one meetings.

Senior figures have reportedly been spotted without watches during recent audiences with Mad Vlad, despite typically wearing timepieces. Moreover, Putin is said to have imposed the change as a new “security measure”.

The missing watches were reportedly noted during talks with Tambov region governor Yevgeny Pervyshov and Mordovia governor Artyom Zdunov. “Phones have long been banned, and now watches have been added to the restrictions - both electronic and mechanical,” a source told We Can Explain.

The rule is said to have started in “mid-April”, pointing to heightened mistrust of officials Putin personally appointed. Sergey Kogogin, boss of truckmaker KamAZ, was also seen without a watch in Putin’s presence, despite wearing one to a recent meeting with Russian premier Mikhail Mushustin.

Putin believes a watch could be used to target him, the Sun reported. He has also recently stopped wearing a watch himself, though he was seen with one during a meeting with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov earlier this week.

Furthermore, local media reportedly described the situation as an “awkward slip-up”. In the televised portion of one meeting, Putin was also seen holding his left hand over his right wrist, obscuring the watch face, according to the Sun.

The stricter rules reportedly don’t extend to Putin’s inner circle. Sergey Chemezov, 73, a former KGB spy and head of defence conglomerate Rostec, wore his watch during a recent one-on-one, with the pair said to have been friends for decades, as per the Sun.

The watch ban joins other reported restrictions on phones, tablets and laptops, according to Point Media. Some have reportedly suggested the Kremlin may also want to conceal the time meetings are recorded, amid claims some audiences are pre-recorded, with the absence of watches helping remove clues from photos and videos.

The security measure has been linked to James Bond-style assassination fears, amid claims the Russian leader is worried about “007-style” gadgets being used against him. Commentators have been drawing comparisons to spy films in which watches double as weapons, including Bond titles Octopussy and GoldenEye, as well as The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Kingsman. 

The move comes as reports claim the Kremlin’s security services are tightening protection around Putin amid fears for his life. An anonymous European spy agency has alleged concerns about an internal coup, potentially linked to former defence minister Sergei Shoigu, are behind the clampdown, the Sun reported.

Security is also said to have been increased after Putin abandoned his favoured palaces over fears they could be targeted by drone strikes. “Since the beginning of March, 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,” a report from Important Stories stated.

It continued: “In particular, he fears the use of drones for a possible assassination attempt by members of the Russian political elite.” The watch rule also follows the Kremlin’s decision to restrict Western media access to Putin’s Victory Day parade in Red Square, amid claims he is “physically scared for his life” after Ukrainian drones showed they can strike unexpectedly, as per the Sun.

“Putin is physically scared for his life because the Ukrainian drones have demonstrated their ability to strike unexpectedly,” businessman and critic Mikhail Khordovsky told The Sun.