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Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken heightened security measures. He has reinforced the National Guard with elite special forces, tanks, and warplanes to create a "coup-proof" Kremlin. 

According to international analysts, this is a response to the Wagner mercenaries attempting a rebellion against Putin. The private army took control of the strategic Russian city of Rostov-on-Donin. Then they marched dangerously close to Moscow before turning back.

In response to the Wagner rebellion, Putin appears to have grown wary of the loyalty of his own security services and military officers. As a result, he has ordered the Interior Ministry's 7,000-men-strong Grom special forces unit to operate under the National Guard's command. 

Moreover, the National Guard has been armed with tanks, warplanes, and artillery, drawing comparisons to the Praetorian Guard of ancient Rome, who were fiercely loyal to the emperor.

The National Guard, established by Putin in 2016, directly reports to him rather than the Ministry of Defense and currently comprises 320,000 personnel. Under the leadership of Putin's loyal former bodyguard, Viktor Zolotov, the National Guard's main role is to crack down on anti-government protests.

Coup-proof security

The move to reinforce the Kremlin has been seen as an attempt to address potential future domestic challenges to Putin's rule. By approving changes to the National Guard's status, Russia has granted it the authority to employ "military equipment" in order to suppress the activities of illegal armed groups.

Ben Noble, an Associate Professor of Russian Politics at University College London, noted that the Wagner rebellion had heightened uncertainty regarding elite and popular support for Putin's regime. This concern led to the strengthening of the National Guard and the consolidation of special forces' command and control.

The Russian Vedomosti newspaper reported that Putin intended to attract former Wagner fighters to the Grom unit, as they were reluctant to join other mercenaries in exile in Belarus. 

Experts on Russia's security services, such as Andrei Soldatov, emphasized the significance of Putin's actions. Soldatov is trying to gauge how many troops are left to execute the ongoing war with Ukraine. With Wagner disbanded the number of troops fighting in Ukraine has been cut.

John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia program at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, pointed out that the move represented a victory for Zolotov, who now commands the Interior Ministry's last special police unit.

The recent Wagner rebellion has raised concerns about the loyalty of security forces and prompted Putin to take action to maintain a firm grip on power. And with Wagner disbanded the number of troops fighting in Ukraine has been cut.