Putin’s ‘new Black Sea palace’: Satellite image shows sprawling new mansion built on coast ‘within range of Ukrainian drones’
Satellite imagery reportedly shows a large new mansion nearing completion at Sochi’s Bocharov Ruchey estate, formerly used by Vladimir Putin. The project matters because reports said the previous residence was demolished in 2024 amid concerns about Ukrainian drone attacks near the Black Sea.
The building’s roofs are now in place and appear larger than those of the former palace, although its total cost is unknown; some contracts were worth up to 500 million roubles (£4.5 million). Recruitment adverts reportedly sought workers for interiors and required FSB background checks, while Putin’s visits to the region have fallen from 24 in 2021 to two across 2024 and 2025.
- A larger mansion is reportedly nearing completion at Putin’s Sochi estate.
- The previous Bocharov Ruchey residence was reportedly demolished in 2024.
- Security concerns have coincided with fewer visits to Russia’s Black Sea coast.
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