Russian Anti-Corruption Foundation Releases Report
Renovated at a Cost of Over 17.4 Billion Won Before Being Handed Over
Russian anti-corruption activists have released information alleging that President Vladimir Putin owns an ultra-luxurious secret palace on the Black Sea coast of Crimea.
According to The Times and other British media outlets on December 30 (local time), the Russian Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) claimed in a recent report that this massive property underwent extensive renovations costing over 90 million pounds (approximately 174 billion won) before being made available to President Putin.
'Grand Palace' Originally Built for Former Ukrainian President
This villa is known as the "Grand Palace." It is reportedly situated atop a cliff overlooking the Black Sea, in a region that belongs to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia forcibly annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
The palace was originally built for Viktor Yanukovych, the former pro-Russian President of Ukraine. After being ousted from Ukraine in 2014, Yanukovych has been living in exile in Russia.
Following Russia's takeover of Crimea, ownership of the palace was transferred to a close associate of President Putin. FBK claims that it has since come into Putin's use.
FBK, founded by the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in February last year, criticized the excessive luxury, questioning, "Why does Putin need yet another palace? How many palaces can one person possibly have?" and adding, "The extravagance is nauseating."
According to the report, the villa features a private walking trail, a pier, and an artificial beach. The surgical suite is equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment from Germany and Finland, comparable to that of a general hospital.
Cryotherapy Facility and Gold-Plated Bathroom Railings
FBK particularly highlighted the presence of a cryotherapy facility. An FBK official stated, "President Putin is the only person known to have installed and used such a device in a residential space," suggesting that he may be undergoing anti-aging treatments in this facility, which can reach temperatures as low as minus 110 degrees Celsius.
The area believed to be Putin's bedroom measures 2,600 square feet (241 square meters). The bathroom is fitted with a gold-plated jacuzzi and railings. The Kremlin has not issued any comment regarding this report.
Previously, in 2021, FBK also exposed the existence of a 'Putin Palace' on the Russian Black Sea coast worth 1 billion dollars (1.44 trillion won). At the time, the Kremlin denied that the palace belonged to Putin, but after related videos were released, large-scale anti-government protests broke out across Russia.
In 2021, the Russian government designated FBK as an "extremist organization." As a result, key FBK members have gone into exile in the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, and other countries, where they continue their activities. The Russian government controls the press and broadcast media, but it cannot completely block platforms like YouTube and Telegram, which FBK uses to make its revelations. As a result, Russian citizens are reportedly still able to access the exposed information.
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