President Vladimir Putin has stopped visiting his residence in Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi due to fears of a fatal drone attack, the independent investigative outlet Proekt reported Monday.
Putin has been spending at least 30 days per year at the Bocharov Ruchey residence since it was renovated for the 2014 Sochi Olympics and likely stayed there throughout the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Proekt.
But this year, the Russian president has spent a record-low number of days at Bocharov Ruchey.
Putin has not visited the residence at all since March and even had to give up the tradition of celebrating the birthday of Alina Kabayeva, his longtime partner and the alleged mother of his two sons, on Russia’s Black Sea coast.
Proekt’s investigators claim that Putin “felt a threat to his physical safety” following multiple drone attacks on Sochi in fall 2023, which explains his prolonged absence from the residence.
A source close to Putin confirmed this theory, the outlet said.
Proekt’s investigation also revealed that the main building of the Bocharov Ruchey residence was completely demolished at the beginning of the year, giving way to a new construction project.
Bocharov Ruchey, once a favored vacation spot of top Soviet leadership, has been regularly used by Putin for meetings with global leaders during his time in office, including with U.S. President George W. Bush in 2008.
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