Building at Putin's residence demolished over his fear of Ukrainian drone attacks – photo

The main building at Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin's summer residence in Sochi has been demolished because he is apparently afraid to visit the area following Ukrainian drone attacks.

Source: Proekt (Project), an investigative media outlet

Details: Bocharov Ruchey has served as one of the Kremlin leader's official residences since 1991.

The Proekt journalists reported that the building at the residence was demolished in March. Now there is just a pit, surrounded by construction equipment at work.

Satellite images of the Bocharov Ruchey residence in May 2023 and May 2024. 

Screenshot: Proekt on YouTube 

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, visited the Sochi residence on 6 March 2024. Putin met with him at another building, Bocharov Ruchey-2.

According to Proekt, Putin has not visited Sochi or its neighbouring cities in seven months. This is a record for at least the last decade. This year, the investigators said, the Kremlin leader broke a long-standing tradition of celebrating his suspected mistress Alina Kabaeva's birthday on the Black Sea shore.

The media suggest that the main reason for these changes is fear, following repeated attacks by Ukrainian drones on the city and damage to a helipad at the airport.

Background:

• Earlier, investigators revealed that Putin has four residences: the Kremlin, Novo-Ogaryovo (just outside Moscow), Bocharov Ruchey, and Valdai (in Novgorod Oblast, Russia’s northwest).
• In 2023, Proekt reported that a secret railway and a network of stations leading to his residences had been built in Russia for Vladimir Putin.
• In April 2023 it was reported that a Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft system had been installed in Krasnaya Polyana near Sochi, where Putin's secret residence is located.
• On 1 October, Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence launched a drone attack on a helicopter base in Sochi.

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