Vladimir Putin is no stranger to danger. In fact, the Russian president and former KGB agent has survived not one, not two, but six assassination attempts. If dodging death was an Olympic sport, Putin would definitely have a gold medal by now.
It all started back in 2002 when an Iraqi man linked to Chechen rebels tried to take Putin out during a state visit to Azerbaijan. The suspect was arrested before a coordinated strike could be launched. This was just one of the many assassination attempts the Russian leader was going to survive.
Fast forward to 2003, when British anti-terror police busted a plan to snipe Putin during his visit. Two suspects were arrested, including a former Russian secret service hitman.
In 2003, a 40-kilo bomb was planted along a road Putin was supposed to drive down near the Kremlin. The plan was foiled by Putin's security officials, who then decided to reroute his motorcade.
Just hours after winning the elections in 2008, Putin was scheduled to give a celebratory speech at the iconic Red Square in Moscow. Little did he know, a Tajik national with a sniper rifle had plans to take him out. But once again, Russian authorities were able to nab the gunman.
In 2012, a Chechen rebel group tried to sabotage Russian economic sites and take out Putin after his re-election. But once again, the Russian security forces were ahead of the game, stopping the plan before it could even start.
The most recent attempt on Putin's life came in 2022, just months after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. 2 drones were shot down not far from Moscow. The Kremlin later revealed that the drones were headed to strike Putin.
With political enemies constantly on his tail, it’s clear that for Putin, dodging death is just another day at the office.
