Vladimir Putin has been seen arriving at a funeral in Moscow with a military officer carrying what was suspected to be the Russian nuclear briefcase.
The cathedral was then cleared of mourners due to fears of assassination attempts on the warmongering Russian President.
Mourners at Christ the Saviour Cathedral were removed as Putin paid his respects at the open coffin to the far-right, firebrand ultranationalist politician, Vladimir Zhirinovsky.
A man in a suit was also seen close to Putin evidently carrying the Russian nuclear briefcase.
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The visible presence of a top military officer dressed in civilian clothes carrying the launch apparatus for the Kremlin’s strategic missiles is chilling at a time of fears that Putin could deploy his atomic weapons.
The scenes indicate a deep concern by Putin of assassination amid the bloody war with Ukraine, and a lack of trust even in his political supporters who were seen crowded into the cathedral at other moments in the mourning ceremony.
There is thought to be a lack of trust amongst Putin's own political supporters who were seen in the cathedral during other moments in the ceremony.
When President Putin paid his respects to Vladimir Zhirinovsky, there were also no armed guards standing at the coffin.
The scenes may also reflect fears he could catch Covid - a longtime worry amid informed speculation that he is suffering from thyroid cancer.
It was a marked difference with the way ex-Russian president Dmitry Medvedev also paid his respects at the cathedral , with mourners allowed to be present in the vast and crowded church. It was only for Putin that they were cleared away.
On Putin's demands, other mourners were told to leave so he could pay his respects.
“For Vladimir Putin, the hall where people bade farewell to Zhirinovsky was completely emptied of people - even from relatives on chairs,” reported Telegram channel VCHK-OGPU.
As Putin entered the church he was seen in a black tie, followed by a man closely behind him with his entourage who were carrying the suspected nuclear briefcase.
Putin entered wearing a black tie, while a man closely behind him in his entourage carried the suspected nuclear briefcase.
Mr Putin picked up a bunch of red roses and placed them at the bottom of the coffin and then made the sign of the cross in front of the open coffin of Mr Zhirinovsky.
Vladimir Zhirinovsky was a far-right politician and head of the ultranationalist Liberal-Democratic Party, who died 15 weeks after predicting in advance the date of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
His speech to MPs accurately predicting the invasion was seen as annoying the Kremlin.
He fell ill soon afterwards, reportedly with coronavirus - despite boasting that he had received eight Covid jabs - and had remained in hospital since in a grave condition.
He could now be succeeded by Andrei Lugovoy, 55, who is wanted in Britain on suspicion of murdering Putin foe Alexander Litvinenko by spiking his tea with deadly radioactive polonium-210 in London in 2006.
Putin is seen as having in recent years embraced the hardline views of Zhirinovsky.
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