- Putin is said to have regularly visited the Bocharov Ruchey Palace on the Black Sea
Vladimir Putin has completely demolished one of his most important palaces, amid claims he is now afraid to spend time in his favorite Black Sea hideouts, which are within range of Ukraine’s kamikaze drones.
The Russian president, who turns 72 today, is “really afraid” of being killed by an unmanned missile controlled by Kiev, according to a new investigation by the independent media outlet Proekt.
In recent years, Putin has regularly visited the Stalin-designed Bocharov Ruchey Palace overlooking the Black Sea in Sochi.
He also has a private £1 billion clifftop retreat in the north-west in Gelendzhik, often compared to a James Bond villain’s lair thanks to entertainment-packed upper floors that hide a network of underground tunnels and bunkers.
These lavish homes were seen as his ‘love nests’, with independent media speculating that the Russian president went on getaways with his secret partner, former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, 41, and their two young children.
But it has emerged that the Bocharov Ruchey Palace was suddenly bulldozed, and new satellite images from Proekt show the site has been reduced to an earthen pit.
The Bocharov Ruchey Palace was reportedly suddenly bulldozed
Satellite photos showed the empty plot of land where the Bocharov Ruchey Palace once stood
A general view of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s newly renovated Bocharov Ruchey state residence on February 6, 2014 in Sochi, Russia
Putin reportedly spent time at his Black Sea palaces with his secret partner, former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, 41, and their two young children
The Russian president, who turns 72 today, is “really afraid” of being killed by an unmanned missile controlled by Kiev, according to a new investigation by the independent media outlet Proekt.
The report claimed that Putin has avoided Sochi and the Krasnodar region since last year, when Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory began in earnest.
Ukrainian airstrikes have hit several targets in both the Sochi and Gelendzhik regions, prompting the Russian president to forego his usual trips to the regions despite evidence that his palaces are guarded by advanced air defense systems.
Bocharov Ruchey is said to have been razed to the ground in February and March of this year.
The Proekt report stated: ‘The [Bocharov Ruchey] building was demolished to the ground. Many questions remain.
‘First of all: why did a luxury home have to be demolished when it had already been renovated ten years ago?
“The answer is probably obvious… Due to drone strikes, the president is afraid to be on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar region.”
Vladimir Putin received British Prime Minister David Cameron at the Bocharov Ruchey residence in Sochi in May 2013
Ukrainian drones were shot down near Bocharov Ruchey late last year
Alexander Lukashenko arrives in September 2022 to visit Vladimir Putin at – reportedly – Bocharov Ruchey’s residence in Sochi, Russia
The report added: ‘In 2023, Putin felt a threat to his physical security and became afraid. An acquaintance of Putin confirmed to Proekt that the president is really afraid of flying south.’
In 2013, Putin used Bocharov Ruchey to host then-British Prime Minister David Cameron for talks.
One theory is that Putin demolished the building and used the war as an excuse to build a new and more luxurious palace on the site of a building completed by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev.
A new development could provide superior bunkering facilities for the Russian leader whose paranoia over possible attempts on his life has increased significantly since the invasion of Ukraine.
Proekt underlined that the Russian people were not informed about the demolition of Bocharov Ruchey, as the homes associated with Putin are located in protected areas.