Russia's Putin has secretly built a luxury estate not far from the Finnish border – complete with two bidets worth $10,000, an artificial waterfall and even an air defense system.
According to the Archives Center, a Russian investigative agency, the 1,000-acre complex is hidden deep in the forests of northern Karelia, just 20 miles from Finland. According to reports, the old nest on the shore of Lake Ladoga also includes three modern-style residences, two *** helipads, a marina, and a trout farm and beef cattle farm. It is protected by a barbed wire fence, round-the-clock security details, and a drone defense system. This compound can only be reached by boat or plane.
Relations between Russia and its neighbors have been tense since Finland joined NATO in April this year. In response, the Kremlin threatened to take "countermeasures" and move missiles that can carry nuclear warheads closer to the border.
Last November, Finland accused Russia of sending hundreds of Middle Eastern and African migrants to its borders, forcing Finland to close its border crossings.
According to the report, the three houses on the estate are a barn, a fisherman's hut and a garden house. These mansions come with a luxury bidet and shower head for up to $4400, as well as a value of $10$80,000 Italian Fiordi Bosco marble floor. An Austrian brewery with brewing equipment worth about $380,000 is also located in the idyllic area.
Local residents say that Putin only comes about once a year, probably to relax his mood. "There's no doubt about it here," a journalist from the Archives Center said in a report. "During his visit, local security was replaced by employees of the FSO [Federal Guard Service], entrances were blocked, as were neighboring islands. ”
Drone footage also shows a waterfall that was reportedly moved from Skerrys National Park and where the property was built. ** Shows a raised embankment near the back of the main property that could be used to deploy surface-to-air defense systems — a feature of some of Putin's other properties.
According to the report, the property is financed by a company linked to oligarch Pars, who has close ties to Putin's Kremlin. The owner of the property is listed as the chairman of the Bank of Russia, Yuri Kovalchuk, whom the US Treasury Department calls one of Putin's "private bankers" and "tellers".
Kovalchuk, who is reportedly responsible for all real estate in Russia, has been under sanctions from the United States and the European Union since 2014. Kovalchuk owns a hotel in the area, and a nearby property is owned by Roman Abramovich. Abramovich was the owner of Britain's Chelsea Football Club, which he was forced to take down after being sanctioned by the West for its ties to Putin. According to the Archives Center, the construction of the site began more than a decade ago and was first reported in 2016.
Although Putin has reportedly had few assets in his name since he became Russia** in 1999.