Satellite images suggest Vladimir Putin is building a new Black Sea palace at the resort city of Sochi, but the site remains within range of Ukrainian attacks, according to reports.
The previous Bocharov Ruchey summer residence was reportedly bulldozed in 2024 amid concerns it was a potential target of Ukrainian drone strikes. The new mansion nearing completion covers a larger area than the old residence.
Cost and Recruitment
The overall project cost is unknown, but many individual contracts ran as high as the equivalent of £4.5 million. Staff were reportedly recruited via social media platforms and screened through enhanced background checks by FSB Russian intelligence officers.
Those overseeing the project are seeking interior specialists, including workers able to install light fixtures, plumbing and doors, according to the BBC's Russian Service.
Visits and Security Concerns
Putin had visited the region, suspected of being where he took his secret partner, former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, 43, and their two children. However, he has spent less time there since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. After visiting 24 times in 2021, the year before the invasion, he travelled to the region once in 2024 and once again last year, reports the FT.
Putin has stayed away from the Ukraine border, remaining in Moscow and St Petersburg. It has been reported that the defences protecting the new palace remain within range of Ukrainian attacks.
Military Analyst Assessment
While defences can protect against drones, the palace is large enough to be seen from the air, according to military analyst Yan Matveyev. Ukraine has struck targets deep in Russia, with attacks having crippled the country's oil refineries and led to spiking oil prices.
An electronic warfare system was destroyed close to the new palace on August 7, and two days later an S-400 anti-aircraft missile system near the site was hit. MailOnline reported Matveyev said: "Satelitte imagery shows the destruction of at least one launcher...Now Putin's 'palace' is left unprotected."
The conflict has led to between 1 million and 1.5 million Russian battlefield casualties. European leaders have warned that the Kremlin could launch attacks across the continent, including sabotage, and there are concerns Putin is willing to test the apparent willingness of NATO members to rush to the aid of another should it be attacked.
