Russian officials must hand over their watches, including mechanical watches, before meeting face-to-face with Vladimir Putin.
Musavat.com reports that two sources familiar with the situation told "Moscow News" about this.
One of the sources told the publication that phone meetings have long been prohibited, and now watches have been added to the list.
According to the source, the new rules came into effect in mid-April. This is also confirmed by the latest videos of meetings released by the Kremlin. For example, the governor of the Tambov region Yevgeny Pervyshov, Mordovia governor Artem Zdunov, and Kamaz CEO Sergey Kogogin were shown meeting with Putin without watches. All of them, for instance, usually wore watches during meetings in Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s office and other public events.
But one source claims that the new requirement does not apply to Putin's close circle, the people he personally trusts. Interestingly, recently Putin himself has also started to appear without a watch during private meetings in his office. There is no specific information regarding the new restrictions. However, recently CNN, Financial Times, and Important Stories have published reports stating that European intelligence fears an assassination attempt and a coup against Putin. As a result, the Federal Protective Service has significantly increased security measures around the president. Employees working close to Putin — chefs, security guards, and photographers — have been prohibited from using internet-connected devices.