Hackers leaked purported Kremlin messages showing tense exchanges between Dmitry Peskov and Mikhail Babich over the cancelled Navy Day parade and other public embarrassments. The texts suggest heightened security concerns and blame-seeking inside Putin’s circle, with officials defending a scaled‑back event as "safer." Observers note expanded protective measures for the president and increased isolation on the world stage since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Leaked Kremlin Messages Suggest Putin's Inner Circle Is Increasingly Paranoid After Botched Navy Day
Anastasia Barashkova/Pool/Reuters
Hackers have released a cache of purported Kremlin messages that portray growing anxiety and infighting within President Vladimir Putin's closest aides. The exchanges — published by the independent news site Agentstvo and attributed to the hacking collective Black8Mirror — focus on the cancelled Navy Day parade in July and other public embarrassments that have rattled the Kremlin.
What the messages show
The leaked texts reportedly capture a tense exchange between longtime Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and official Mikhail Babich over the decision to abandon the customary sprawling naval parade on the Neva River in St. Petersburg. Instead of a display featuring some 200 warships, Putin was shown posing in front of a large poster of a submarine and attending a muted television meeting with navy personnel — a sequence that drew widespread ridicule.
Russia’s Navy Day parade in July was replaced with a dramatically scaled-down event that drew widespread mockery. Putin is increasingly consumed by fears for his safety as Ukrainian strikes reach deeper into Russia and domestic problems pile up on his doorstep as his war drags on. / Vyacheslav Prokofyev / via REUTERS
In the messages, Peskov described the scaled-back event as "safer," while Babich questioned whether the ceremony was justified "with such a threat level."
In a separate exchange, Babich demanded explanations after the president of Kazakhstan publicly urged Putin to halt the war in Ukraine during a televised meeting. Babich asked whether the rebuke was scripted or "impromptu," and expressed outrage when told it had not been pre-planned, arguing the remarks should never have been allowed on camera.
Broader implications
Observers say the exchanges reflect both an effort to contain the Kremlin’s image and a growing preoccupation with security risks. Earlier reporting suggested Putin sought a scapegoat after the Navy Day fiasco, with Peskov among those under scrutiny. Abbas Gallyamov, a former Putin speechwriter turned critic, wrote on Telegram in July that lower-level press officers might bear the consequences even if senior figures draw the most attention.
Dmitry Peskov has served as Putin’s press secretary since 2012, but that didn’t mean he was safe from the blame game after the Navy Day flop. / Turar Kazangapov/REUTERS
The leaks arrive amid other signs of tightening security around the president. Reports say staffing at the Federal Protective Service's central headquarters has increased after a series of high-profile killings of senior military officers. The Financial Times also reported that Putin has been spending extended periods in underground bunkers while directing the war effort.
The disclosures come as U.S. President Donald Trump extended an invitation for Putin to attend this year’s G20 summit at his club near Miami — an offer that highlights Putin’s continued international isolation since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Sources and caveats: The material cited here is based on publications by Agentstvo and materials attributed to Black8Mirror, with corroborating details reported by outlets including the Financial Times. The provenance and authenticity of hacked materials can be difficult to verify fully; the article reports what has been published and attributed in those sources.
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