Putin abandons beloved Sochi residence over drone attack fears
Russian president Vladimir Putin has reportedly stopped visiting his favored residence, "Bocharov Ruchey" in Sochi, fearing a potential Ukrainian drone attack, reports Proekt.
Proekt discloses that prior to launching his full-scale war against Ukraine, Putin spent about one month annually at "Bocharov Ruchey," primarily during the "velvet season" in the fall. It was a tradition for him to celebrate the birthday of former gymnast Alina Kabaeva, mother of his two sons, at this location on May 12.
During the first year of the war, Putin remained committed to his habits, welcoming presidents from Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, the Armenian prime minister, and the Belarus ruler at the residence. However, 2023 saw a dramatic change as Sochi came under increasing drone attack threat. Notably, on September 20, a fuel tanker near Sochi airport exploded following a drone strike. Further incidents occurred on October 1 and 14, with Ukrainian intelligence claiming a drone hit the airport's helipad—a facility potentially utilized by the Russian president during his visits.
Putin was in Sochi amid these attacks, spending his previous birthday there, including a meeting with unrecognized Abkhazia leader, Aslan Bzhaniya. This experience, according to investigators citing a "presidential acquaintance," triggered a realization of the looming threat. Official records from the Kremlin indicate Putin's limited presence in Sochi, with his last visit in March 2024 to meet Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
February 2024 saw the commencement of the main building's demolition at the "Bocharov Ruchey" residence, as detected by Proekt via satellite images, with its completion by March. Images from May display a construction site at the former building's location.
This site notably hosted President George W. Bush in 2008 and had been a hub for regular defense ministry meetings since 2014. However, these gatherings ceased in 2022, journalists clarify.
For the 2024 meeting with Grossi and Rosatom's CEO Alexei Likhachev on March 6, Putin opted for a newly constructed building at the southern boundary of the property, post-Sochi 2014 Olympics, named "Bocharov Ruchey - 2".
Besides the Sochi residence, Putin has a palace on Cape Idokopas on the Black Sea near Gelendzhik, as detailed by the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) in 2021. Putin denies ownership of the palace, claiming it belongs to billionaire Arkady Rotenberg, who intends to convert it into a hotel.
Putin's other official residences include Novo-Ogaryovo near Moscow and one in Valdai. In February 2023, Proekt revealed the presence of a guarded railway station with a helipad near the Valdai residence. The investigation suggests a network of secret railways was built for Putin's travel via an armored train.