The website Proekt has published satellite images that show Putin’s Bočarov Ruča residence in “before and after” style in May 2023 and May 2024.
In the image from May 2023, a large building with a red roof is clearly visible, which the British newspaper described as typical for the summer residence of the Russians. It is set slightly back from the Black Sea on a large plot of land with several outbuildings.
However, the photo from this year shows that the building has disappeared and something resembling a construction site has appeared in its place. No other buildings that comprise the headquarters were affected. Pictures from both years, however, indicate that no one is taking care of the residence, as higher and denser vegetation appears on them, the newspaper writes.
The most popular residence
Bočarov Ručej is probably the most popular residence of the Russian leader. According to Kremlin data, he spent up to 37 days a year there. In addition, he hosted foreign guests and celebrated his birthday there with his lover Alina Kabajevova, a former gymnast who won, among other things, two Olympic gold medals in her sports career.
In the last 12 months, however, Ukrainian drones have been attacking Sochi more and more often, which, according to the Project, scared Putin, because he only visited his Black Sea residence once this year, in March, when the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, visited him.
“Putin flew to Sochi for the last time seven months ago,” a source who described himself as “Putin’s acquaintance” told Proekt. “He even broke the long-standing tradition of going to Sochi for Alina’s birthday celebrations in May,” he added.
The second Project source, who stated that he is “Putin’s friend”, in turn said that Kremlin officials did not receive any invitation to visit the residence this year. “They discuss it among themselves and are surprised that they stopped inviting them to meetings in Sochi,” he said.
The Russian leader, who celebrated his 72nd birthday on Monday, has been paranoid that someone will assassinate him since the start of the war in Ukraine. In his residence near Sochi, he even had a copy of his office built from his Moscow residence to give the impression that he is in the Russian capital, reports The Telegraph.
