A mysterious fire has destroyed part of a Russian mountain palace regularly visited by Vladimir Putin.
The inferno broke out in a secret hideout that was said to be equipped with an extensive underground nuclear bunker.
The Altai mountain hole is also home to the dictator’s facilities for the “barbaric” extraction of deer blood from antlers for “medicinal” baths intended to increase sexual potency and restore youth.
One of the buildings at the remote complex – where Putin once hosted former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi – was completely destroyed by the fire.
It is unclear how extensive any damage may be to the main house of the complex.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but comes after months of ‘sabotage fires’ on key Russian facilities caused by Ukrainian drone strikes and enemies of Putin’s brutal war against Kiev.
A mysterious fire has destroyed part of a Vladimir Putin palace in the Altai Mountains
Firefighters are busy extinguishing the fire in the Altai Republic
Putin is seen with deer during his visit to the Sayano-Shushenksy reserve in 2013
Vladimir Putin’s palace in the Altai Mountains is said to be equipped with a secret nuclear bunker
Officials declined to comment on the fire, news outlet Sirena reported.
But photos showed raging flames at the sprawling site, which is officially owned by Gazprom but is part of a string of luxury palaces across Russia used by the Russian president.
The fire was revealed by blogger Amyr Aitashev and activist Aruna Arna.
Ordinary Russians cannot go near the elite hideout called Altai Yard.
Security says it is “a specially protected facility intended for the recreation of high-ranking officials of the state.”
But opposition investigators are confident the sprawling estate, set amid breathtaking Altai mountain scenery, is linked to Putin.
There were reports that a hi-tech bunker would be built at the facility for use by Putin and his family in the event of nuclear war.
The palace is located in the Ongudaysky District of the Altai Republic, a region in Siberia bordering Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan.
Observers have noted multiple ventilation points on the grounds surrounding the mountain shelter, and a power line linked to a state-of-the-art 110-kilovolt substation, enough to power a small town.
During construction, large German tunnel diggers were reported to have been at the site.
The complex contains a deer farm where Siberian deer antlers are sawed off so that Putin and his henchmen can carry out massacres.
The age-old tradition is seen as a testosterone-powered elixir to improve male potency, as well as a product with multiple health benefits.
There is also a theory that it slows aging in women, but there is a lack of medical evidence as a cure for ailments.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) toasts during an awards ceremony at the Kremlin on May 30, 2024 in Moscow
Opposition investigators are confident that the sprawling estate, located amid stunning Altai mountain scenery, is linked to Putin
Observers have noted multiple ventilation points on the grounds surrounding the mountain shelter, and a power line linked to a state-of-the-art 110-kilovolt substation, enough to power a small town.
Vladimir Putin’s palace in the Altai Mountains is said to be equipped with a secret nuclear bunker
Ahead of a Putin visit, 70 kilos of deer antlers were prepared so that the Russian leader could ‘take massacres’.
Animal rights activists have denounced the use of electric saws without anesthesia to cut the beautiful velvet antlers of deer at such breeding stations.
Observers say the creatures are ‘stunned’ and ‘shocked’ by the brutal practice.
The Russian president is said to have been exposed to the massacres by his former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who is now security of the Russian Security Council.
Irina Novozhilova, chairman of the Russian animal protection center ‘Vita’, described the practice as medieval.
‘Ancient people believed that they could heal themselves using animal body parts.
‘In the Middle Ages people also believed in healing remedies. I remember stories of the bloody Countess Bathory who enjoyed bathing in the blood of young girls.
‘And King James I of England regularly bathed in animal blood.
‘Both facts sound wild today, but you can draw a parallel with these legal red deer farms.’