Putin locks senior officials in a golden cage

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Trust is good, verification is better. Because Russian President Vladimir Putin (70) is afraid of being betrayed, it has recently become almost impossible for his employees to leave the country. Top Russian officials, members of parliament, CEOs of state-owned companies, governors and bank bosses have been forced to refrain from holidays abroad – or ask for permission.

Putin fears that the employees could stab him in the back. “An iron curtain has already been erected for those associated with the state,” an official who asked to remain anonymous told the Moscow Times. Other officials also reported similar incidents.

Since Russia attacked Ukraine, the Kremlin has become a “besieged fortress,” the sources said. The international arrest warrant makes the Kremlin chief sweat. He fears that his employees will flee abroad and distance themselves from him.

“Vacation in Russia”

As “Nastoyasheye Vremya” reported earlier, some officials had their foreign passports taken away. Senior politicians were told: ‘Take a vacation from work. Or in Russia, in the Altai for example” (high mountains between Russia, Kazakhstan and China).

Officials feel trapped. It is more difficult than ever to get a holiday visa in Europe due to sanctions against Russia. Beach holidays in Dubai or in Turkey have so far been possible without any problems. That’s the end – vacation requests and travel are approved not only by superiors, but also by Putin’s or Kremlin’s chief of staff, Anton Waino (51).

An interrogation follows after leaving the country

An employee told the Moscow Times she was being questioned after a trip to the EU. “They wanted to know if I had been contacted by the secret services of other countries,” she explains. “I was asked if I would be asked to sign papers condemning our president’s policies or explaining why I was leaving the country.”

State officials fear these restrictions could escalate into a full travel ban. The rules for state employees, bank bosses & Co. have been steadily tightened since the beginning of the war.

As far back as 2014, officials with access to sensitive information were required to coordinate their travel abroad, according to the Carnegie think tank. “Since 2022, such approvals are no longer granted only for the management level, but also for employees with access to second-level classified information,” the article reads.

Source: Blick