Panic in the Kremlin: Is Putin in danger? VIDEO

The decree increases the maximum number of military and civilian personnel in the agency's central administration from 785 to 812.

The move follows a series of security enhancements introduced during the war and comes amid media reports claiming that Putin fears a possible assassination attempt or coup, prompting further tightening of security measures around the Kremlin leader, according to the Kyiv Post.

According to those reports, personnel working in Putin's immediate vicinity are prohibited from using mobile phones and are required to wear protective masks and remove their wristwatches before meeting him. The FSO has also significantly reduced the number of Putin's trips and has increasingly kept him at heavily guarded facilities, while his foreign visits have been accompanied by visibly heightened security measures.

During a visit to Kazakhstan in May, Putin's motorcade reportedly included an armored vehicle, a helicopter, and a vehicle equipped with an electronic warfare system designed to disrupt potential threats.

FSO responsible for a broad range of security duties

The FSO is tasked with a wide range of security responsibilities, including the close protection of the head of state. Its primary mission is to safeguard the president, his family, and the prime minister, but it is also responsible for securing the Kremlin, the State Duma, and dozens of heavily guarded presidential residences.

In addition to its central administration, the service is believed to employ tens of thousands of officers and troops. One of its specialized divisions, the Special Communications Service (Spetssvyaz), is responsible for overseeing the nuclear briefcase that accompanies Putin, while his immediate physical protection is provided by the Presidential Security Service.

First Mid-Year Expansion

According to the Kyiv Post, before the 2022 invasion, the FSO's central administration had not been expanded since 2010. The first decree setting the maximum number of personnel in the agency's central administration was issued in 2004, when staffing was capped at 600.

The number was increased several times thereafter, reaching 725 in 2010 during the presidency of Dmitry Medvedev. It remained unchanged for nearly 13 years until Putin raised it to 760 at the end of 2022.

Since the start of the war, Putin has expanded the agency's staffing three more times, increasing the number from the pre-war level of 725 to 812 under the latest decree—an overall rise of about 12 percent.

The decree took effect on July 1. According to the independent outlet Verstka, this marks the first mid-year expansion since the war began. Previous staffing increases had taken effect either at the beginning or the end of the year.