Snipers, drones and AI: Inside the five-layered security shield for Putin in India and what he will discuss with PM Modi

Russian President Vladimir Putin - File Photo

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s upcoming visit to New Delhi has prompted an extraordinary security operation involving both Indian and Russian agencies. The capital will see one of the highest levels of protective deployment for any visiting foreign leader in recent years. Putin will be in India for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4 and 5, and both countries are treating his safety as a priority.

An unusually dense five-layer security ring

According to officials, a five-layer protection system will surround the Russian president at all times. Russia’s elite Presidential Security Service, known for its strict selection process and intense training, will operate the innermost ring. Members of this team are picked only after extensive loyalty checks, psychological evaluations, and rigorous physical tests. Some reports say the team arrives with its own specialised medical units, armoured transport, food tasters, and surveillance equipment.

India’s National Security Guard will form the second layer. These commandos are trained for counterterrorism operations and VVIP protection. Alongside them, Delhi Police and paramilitary forces will create additional perimeter layers around every zone that Putin enters.

Snipers will be positioned on rooftops in the surrounding areas and high-precision drones will oversee the airspace. Anti-drone systems will remain active to prevent hostile aerial movement. There will also be complete radio signal monitoring, frequency jamming in key zones, and artificial intelligence-based facial recognition that can scan live crowds for threats. Traffic restrictions and sanitised routes are expected to be enforced hours before every movement in the president’s schedule.

Russian teams have also insisted on strict personal protocols. International media has reported that Putin’s security officers collect and seal his biological waste during foreign visits to prevent any intelligence analysis. Body doubles, secure food labs, and controlled access corridors are also part of the elaborate arrangement.

These steps underline how sensitive this trip is for both countries. This will be one of Putin’s most significant foreign visits since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest in 2023. Although India is not a member of the Rome Statute and has no legal obligation to enforce the warrant, the geopolitical weight of the moment has heightened the security measures around his presence.

Key items on the agenda: Defence, energy, trade and payment systems

Putin will begin his visit with a private dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, followed by formal summit talks, a session with business leaders, and a state banquet hosted by President Droupadi Murmu.

The Kremlin has indicated that correcting the growing trade imbalance will be a priority. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia wants to build a secure trade framework with India. He stated, “We need to secure our trade in the face of pressure from unfriendly countries” and added, “We are ready to share whatever we can with our Indian partners.”

Energy cooperation will be another major pillar. Russia has become India’s largest crude oil supplier and Moscow is expected to reassure Delhi about steady, long term supplies. Russian officials have said that disruptions in deliveries are temporary and will be resolved with improved logistics.

Defence collaboration remains central to the strategic partnership. The two sides recently ratified the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Support agreement, which allows both militaries to use each other’s bases for supplies, maintenance and refuelling. Discussions may also explore upgrades to India’s existing Russian platforms and possible new acquisitions.

The meeting comes at a time when India is under increasing pressure from the United States and European countries to reduce its engagement with Russia. The summit therefore gives New Delhi an opportunity to reaffirm its independent foreign policy, maintain its crucial defence and energy ties, and steer the partnership toward a more resilient economic structure.