Vladimir Putin has demolished his holiday villa by the Black Sea after he stopped visiting the area out of fear for his own life relating to strikes from Ukraine, a Russian opposition website has claimed.
The site of his villa near Sochi has become a regular spot for Ukrainian drone attacks – something which Putin “fears”, according to Proekt.
Proekt published a pair of satellite images, one showing the villa standing in May 2023 and another from May 2024 after it was flattened. The website said the “site of the dacha is now a pit”.
Putin last visited his villa in Sochi seven months ago, a source “familiar with Putin” told the website – which is run by Russian journalists living in exile.
“He even broke a long-standing tradition of coming to Sochi to celebrate Alina’s birthday in May,” the source added, referring to Alina Kabaeva, Putin’s secret lover with whom he has two children.
Kremlin officials were surprised to no longer be invited to Putin’s dacha, which is called Bocharov Ruchey. A source for Proekt, described as a “friend of Putin”, told the site that Kremlin officials “discuss it among themselves and are surprised that they have stopped being invited to meetings in Sochi”.
The satellite image from May 2023 shows a large house with a red roof, situated in a large estate with a number of outbuildings. The May 2024 photo shows a beige, sandy mass where the house used to stand, appearing to be a demolition site.
Kremlin data shows Putin would stay up to 37 days a year in the Sochi dacha, according to reports.
But with Ukrainian drones increasing the intensity of their attacks on Sochi over the past year, Putin appears to have given up on what was believed to be one of his favourite holiday homes.
Putin has only visited Bocharov Ruchey once this year, when he hosted Rafael Gossi – the head of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency – in March.
Bocharov Ruchey was initially built by the Soviet Union as a summer residence for its leaders. Putin reportedly renovated it with luxury accommodation and heavy-set meeting rooms, for his use with family and guests alike.
He had a replica of his office in Moscow built into the Sochi dacha, so he could give the impression he was in the Russian capital when he liked. Since invading Ukraine in 2022, Putin has reduced his travel commitments out of fear of being assassinated.
According to Proekt, Putin isolated himself in the dacha during the Covid-19 pandemic, enjoying the milder climate than further north.
Putin has multiple homes, including a holiday home in the Karelia region and his official Moscow residence.
