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Inside Putin’s Alleged New Palace in Occupied Crimea: Lavish Interiors, Spa, and Private Hospital
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Russian anti-corruption investigators claim to have uncovered another luxury palace linked to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, this time located on Cape Aya in occupied Ukrainian Crimea, according to an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) , The Insider reported on December 30.
FBK says it obtained photographs of the secret property along with detailed architectural plans, estimating the cost of construction at around 127$ million.
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The complex was originally built as a planned residence for former Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, but after Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, the project was declared illegal and later transferred to the Kovalchuk brothers, longtime figures close to Putin.
It was subsequently rebuilt to meet Federal Protective Service (FSO) requirements, investigators said, according to FBK.
The foundation describes the site as a fully secured palace complex rather than a country house, featuring lavish interiors, a private medical center, spa facilities, a cryotherapy chamber, a helipad, a private waterfront, and round-the-clock security.
“Now it’s no longer a dacha but a huge palace,” FBK said, adding that staff housing, technical buildings, and a new helipad were built higher up the slope.
According to project documents reviewed by FBK, the palace includes oversized halls and bedrooms, bathrooms fitted with luxury fixtures costing millions of rubles, and a personal hospital equipped with an operating room, intensive care equipment, diagnostic imaging, and dental facilities.
One wing of the complex is dedicated to a spa area with a swimming pool, The Insider reported, citing the investigation.
FBK alleges that the construction was financed by the same network used for the palace near Gelendzhik previously linked to Putin.
Investigators say funding came in part from Vladimir Kolbin, the son of Putin’s childhood friend Pyotr Kolbin, as well as from companies tied to the Kovalchuks and offshore structures. On this basis, FBK concludes that the Cape Aya palace was built using the same financial sources as the Gelendzhik residence, according to The Insider.
Previously, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha had denied Russian accusations of a Ukrainian drone strike on Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s residence in Valdai, calling the claims baseless and unsupported by evidence.
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