Vladimir Putin is sealing off a swathe of a major Russian resort to feel secure in a newly built seaside palace.
The Russian leader, 73, is rebuilding a Stalin residence in Sochi after he was reported ‘scared’ to use the stately home.
Underground bunkers are also being installed at the revamped Bocharov Ruchey, which was bulldozed amid reports it wasn’t grand enough for the President.
Putin felt a threat to his physical safety and was scared by a Ukrainian drone threat at the Black Sea palace, according to Proekt.
‘A Putin acquaintance confirmed to Proekt that the president is truly afraid to fly south,’ they reported.
Sochi was home to the 2014 Winter Olympics, but now, a 1.2 square mile lockdown zone will be put in place when Putin is in town.
Drones, shooting clubs, paintball venues, anything resembling weapons, and cesspits have all been banned, according to the Federal Protective Service [FSO], which guards Putin.
Helicopter landing pads, car or motorbike repair premises, livestock, landfills, or banner displays will also be banned.
Curbs are also imposed in the water near the new palace, restricting fishing and leisure boats.
Putin shares his multiple palaces with his lover Alina Kabaeva, 42, a former Olympic gymnast, and their sons Ivan, 11, and Vladimir, six, whose existence has not been revealed to ordinary Russians.
The Bocharov Ruchey residence is separate from Putin’s secret £1 billion private clifftop retreat to the northwest in Gelendzhik, likened to the lair of a James Bond villain, also on the Black Sea.
Putin’s palaces typically include lavish spas and hospital facilities, as well as multiple underground levels and luxury bunkers.
They are protected by Russia’s leading air defence systems.
In 2013, Putin used Bocharov Ruchey to host then UK Prime Minister David Cameron for talks.
Stalin died before he could use the now-bulldozed palace, and its construction was completed by his successor as Soviet leader, Nikita Khrushchev.
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