Does Putin travel without security?

Is the Russian president so confident in his people’s support that he travels without a security detail? On August 12, a pro-Russian social media user took to X to share a video of Putin meeting supporters in front of a petrol station. The post garnered tens of thousands of views on X and was also shared on Facebook. The French-speaking social media user claimed that the Russian president had little to no security present, which he compared with the extensive security details that accompany French President Emmanuel Macron when he travels. For this social media user, the fact that Macron needs a lot of security when he travels is proof of the distance between the French president and his population: “While Macron hides behind 50 members of the riot police and police barriers just to lay down a wreath… Putin is getting out of his car in the middle of the street, shaking hands, smiling and talking to people. The crowd welcomes him like a father [...] You don’t see 15,000 police officers to protect him as he walks 200 metres. Just Russians who love their president. And a president who isn’t afraid of his people. In the meantime, in France: [...] a head of state who won’t set a foot ou...