VLAD’S DEN
Ukrainian kamikaze drone hits Russian oil depot just 45 MILES from Putin’s £1bn palace infamous for lap-dancing den
Putin will be quaking in his boots as the strikes edge closer to his £1billion palace on the Black Sea
A UKRAINIAN kamikaze drone exploded a major oil depot close to two of Vladimir Putin's palaces.
The midnight strike on Tuapse on the Black Sea was the fourth such attack in six days.
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The international airport in Sochi - frequently used by the dictator - was closed due to fears it was also under siege.
Flights to Phuket, Dubai, Sharm el-Sheikh and Istanbul were among those delayed.
Giant flames were seen at the Rosneft oil facility RN-Marine Terminal Tuapse in Krasnodar region, on the main coast road to resort Sochi, location of a key Putin official residence Bocharov Ruchei.
The depot is closer to Putin’s £1billion clifftop private palace at Gelendzhik which boasts an underground bunker, pole-dancing boudoir, and vineyard, some 45 miles away.
Novichok poisoning survivor Alexei Navalny previously leaked pictures of its opulent interior, said to be for exclusive use of the Kremlin strongman and his cronies.
Describing the palace, Navalny said it was "the most guarded place in Russia, in fact a state within a state, and this is Putin's biggest secret."
It's also claimed that the estate in which the £1bn bonanza is built upon is "39 times the size of Monaco".
The white painted Versaille-style palace also has a church, hockey arena banker style mostly underground, theatre, tunnel leading to its own private beach and landing pads for three helicopters.
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It is said to be the largest private home in Russia - measuring an incredible 17,691 square metres.
But the Tuapse strikes highlight just how close the former spy's luxury residence is to Ukraine.
Putin has already deployed missiles at his Sochi mansion, 72 miles away from Tuapse, following several drone attacks around the area in November.
But like the rest of his properties, it's also believed the £1bn palace at Gelendzhik is guarded by modern air defence systems due to its proximity to opposition forces.
The attack on Tuapse highlights a new trend in the war, as Ukraine uses its own kamikaze drones to strike inside Russia while it waits for new arms supplies from the West.
The Rosneft oil depot was attacked by drones of the Security Service of Ukraine, sources in special services told .
The source said the attack caused a conflagration at the plant, where "the primary processing unit for petroleum products, specifically the vacuum and atmospheric chambers, took damage."
The special service sourced added: "There will be many more surprises; the systematic work is ongoing".
Footage showed one drone as it buzzed towards the target.
Air defences were heard in Tuapse before the explosion at the oil refinery owned by Rosneft, Russia’s second largest state-controlled company and biggest oil producer.
The fire spread to more than 2,150 square feet.
The refinery contained 100 tons of petrol and 200 tons of oil.
Thirty eight employees were evacuated and no casualties reported.
Soon after, footage of a second Russian factory up in flames emerged - albeit some 3,066 miles away from Tuapse.
According to reports, an airboat production workshop of the Alligator LLC company was burnt to the ground in the village of Elovoe, Emelyanovsky district, near Krasnoyarsk.
Multiple videos show giant flames engulfing the factory, although the cause of the fire is currently unknown.
It came the day after Russia accused Ukraine of downing an Il-76 military transport plane over Belgorod region.
Moscow claimed the aircraft had 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war on board, as well as six crew and three security guards.
Ukraine has demanded an international investigation of the incident, and questioned whether its PoWs were on board a plane seen as supplying weapons close to the war zone.
“It is obvious that the Russians are playing with the lives of Ukrainian prisoners, with the feelings of relatives and with the emotions of our society,” said Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
“All clear facts must be established, as much as possible, given that the plane crashed on Russian territory - beyond our control…
“The GUR [Ukrainian military intelligence] is investigating the fate of all prisoners.
“The security service [SBU] is investigating all the circumstances.
“And I instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to inform partners about the available data in Ukraine.
“Our state will insist on an international investigation.”
On January 18, Ukrainian drones hit the Petersburg Oil Terminal on the Baltic.
A day later the Rosneft oil depot in Klintsy, Bryansk region when large tanks with fuel burned down triggering an inferno lasting more than 24 hours.
On January 21, in Leningrad region, Ukrainian drones struck the Kremlin-linked Novatek liquefied natural gas company terminal in Ust Luga port.
The Moscow Times reported: “The new targets include facilities that play a key role in supplying and supporting Russian military forces.
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“The destruction of such objects is intended to put pressure on the enemy and change the course of military operations in favour of Ukraine.
“Over the course of several months, the Ukrainian military has successfully adapted foreign artillery shells into kamikaze drones.”
Putin's $1billion Gelendzhik palace
Located on the Black Sea coast near the resort town of Gelendzhik in Krasnodar, Vladimir Putin's $1billion palace complex is said to be the largest private home in Russia.
Quite literally known as "Putin's Palace", the 17,691 square metre property is built on an estate described as 39 times the size of Monaco.
It's believed to be guarded by modern air defence systems due to its close proximity to Ukraine.
Some of the amenities inside the white painted Versaille-style palace include a hockey arena, theatre and a tunnel leading to its own private beach
There is also a church, landing pads for three helicopters and a vineyard.
In 2021, leaked photos from opposition leader Alexei Navalny revealed a pole-dancing boudoir is on-site for exclusive use of Putin and his cronies.
Images of its opulent interior show a "striptease" room - complete with a stage and pole, as well as red sofas.
Describing the palace, Navalny said it was "the most guarded place in Russia, in fact a state within a state, and this is Putin's biggest secret."
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