Putin’s secret 10,000-acre hideout near Finnish border revealed

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by patrick riley

Russian President Vladimir Putin has secretly built a luxurious mansion not far from the Finnish border, complete with two $10,000 bidets, a “stolen” waterfall, and perhaps even its own air defense system.

The vast 1,000-acre complex is hidden deep in the forests of northern Karelia, just 32 miles from Finland, Russian investigative agency Documentation Center reported.

The retreat, located on the shores of Lake Ladoga, also includes three modern-style houses, two helicopter pads, a yacht pier, a trout farm and a beef farm, the paper said.

Footage shows it is protected by barbed wire fencing, 24/7 security and a drone protection system.

This property can only be accessed by boat or plane.

Relations between Russia and neighboring Finland have been strained since the Nordic nation joined NATO in April, with the Kremlin threatening “countermeasures” and dropping nuclear-capable missiles near the border. It is being moved to .

In November, Finland accused Russia of sending hundreds of Middle Eastern and African migrants across its border, forcing Finland to close its border crossings.

According to the report, the three houses on the property are known as ‘The Barn’, ‘The Fisherman’s Hut’ and ‘The Garden House’. The properties are reportedly decked out with luxury bidets, showerheads costing up to $4,400, and $108,000 Italian Fior di Bosco marble floors.

The idyllic grounds also include a brewery with approximately $380,000 of Austrian brewing equipment capable of producing 82 pints of beer per day.

According to local residents, President Putin only visits the residence about once a year, and it is likely that any grievances will be resolved.

“There is no doubt that the president is relaxed here,” a Dossier Center reporter said in a video report. “During his visit, local security will be replaced by the FSO.” [Federal Guard Service] Employees, the entrance is blocked and the neighboring islands are blocked. ”

Drone footage obtained by the media also revealed a waterfall believed to have been stolen from Skerries National Park, where the site is located.

The video shows a raised embankment that could be used to install surface-to-air defense systems – a feature seen at some of Putin’s other compounds – appearing near the back of the main compound.

The report said the property was financed by companies linked to oligarchic allies with ties to President Putin’s Kremlin. The owner of the property is listed as Yuri Kovalchuk, chairman of the Bank of Russia, whom the US Treasury says is Putin’s “personal banker” and one of his “treasurers.” There is.

Kovalchuk reportedly controls all of the Russian president’s real estate and has been under sanctions from the US and EU since 2014.

Kovalchuk owns a hotel in the area, and an adjacent property is owned by Roman Abramovich. Roman Abramovich is the former owner of England’s Chelsea Football Club, who was forced to sell the team after being sanctioned by Western countries for his ties to Putin.

Construction at the site began more than a decade ago and was first reported in 2016, according to the Dossier Center.

Despite amassing one of the world’s greatest fortunes since becoming Russian prime minister in 1999, Putin reportedly has very few assets in his own name. He has served as president since 2012.

Bill Brody, an American investor who ran one of Russia’s largest investment companies from 1996 to 2005, told the Senate Judiciary Committee in July 2017 that President Putin had “earned $200 billion in ill-gotten gains.” “It was accumulating,” he testified.

Most of the Russian president’s wealth is hidden away in tax havens abroad, invested in luxury real estate in Russia and abroad, and distributed among accounts belonging to family and friends.