Category: Blog and Tweets

Putin strengthened his personal security after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – Google Search  google.com/search?q=Putin+st…
AI Overview
Based on reports from early 2026, Russian President Vladimir Putin intensified his personal security and ordered increased protection for high-ranking officials following the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, 2026, in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike.

Security Increases: Following the assassination of Khamenei and other Iranian officials, Putin instructed the FSB and law enforcement to step up protection for defense ministry personnel and state officials, citing a surge in attacks and assassination threats.
Response to Threat: Analysts suggested that the killing of a senior ally like Khamenei—in a highly coordinated decapitation strike—hit “where it hurts” for Putin, raising fears that he could be targeted next.
Repressive Measures: Putin also ratcheted up security by strengthening the role of the Rosgvardia (National Guard) and allowing private firms to use firearms to protect critical infrastructure.
Condemnation of Strike: Putin denounced the killing of Khamenei as “murder” and a “cynical violation” of international law, while simultaneously pledging support to the new Iranian leadership, Mojtaba Khamenei. [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]

The killing of Ayatollah Khamenei occurred as part of a 2026 Iran war, during which Israel and the U.S. carried out airstrikes against high-ranking Iranian officials. [1]

AI responses may include mistakes.

[1]  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assass…
[2]  themoscowtimes.com/2026/02/2…
[3]  youtube.com/watch?v=sSkqZBYG…
[4]  politico.eu/article/ayatolla…
[5]  youtube.com/watch?v=0HVz04yo…
[6]  yahoo.com/news/articles/kham…
[7]  themoscowtimes.com/2026/03/2…
[8]  themoscowtimes.com/2026/02/1…

— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Apr 7, 2026