Russian President Vladimir Putin has not visited any Russian regions since returning from China on Tuesday, marking a sharp break from previous years when such trips were routine. The pause has now stretched to 196 days – the longest in recent years – amid growing security concerns following Ukrainian strikes and tighter Kremlin security measures.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Public appearances have since been limited to Moscow, the Moscow region, and St. Petersburg. According to Russian independent media Agentstvo, the previous record stood at 132 days during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. His last trip outside Moscow-linked regions was a one-day visit to Samara on November 6, 2025. Since then, all public appearances have been limited to Moscow, the Moscow region, and St. Petersburg. Recent engagements have been tightly controlled, including a Christmas service at a special forces facility, meetings with students in Dolgoprudny [a city in Moscow region], and a wreath-laying ceremony in St. Petersburg held without a public audience. The pause in travel follows reports of a Ukrainian attempt to strike Putin’s Valdai residence in late 2025 – an incident acknowledged by Russian authorities but questioned internationally. Ukrainian officials have widely rubbished Russian reports that Putin’s secluded and heavily guarded residential complex was ever targeted. Moreover, they accused the Kremlin of inventing the attack as a pretext for Russia to back out of participation in ongoing peace discussions.