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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
World
Anita McSorley & David Kent

Vladimir Putin's hiding place as Russia's war in Ukraine not going to plan

Having launched the "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, Vladimir Putin would likely have hoped that Russia would be in a far stronger position as we head into April.

But things have not gone to plan at all, with cities like Kyiv, Mariupol, Kharkiv and Lviv holding strong under heavy airfire and shelling.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stood resolute and is determined to not surrender Ukraine's cities.

READ MORE: Vladimir Putin's soldiers 'refusing orders, sabotaging their equipment and accidentally shot down their own aircraft'

While they are on the frontlines, there haven't been many public appearances for the Kremlin leader so far.

So whereabouts is Putin?

04/11/04 - Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva attend the meeting with Russian Olympic Team at the Kremlin Palace (Getty Images)

Usually, the leader of the Kremlin sits in the Grand Kremlin Palace.

The Palace, first built in 1837, is a spectacular building in Moscow, spanning around 25,000 metres with over 700 rooms.

But it is not believed that Putin has settled there while the war is going on.

Instead, many think that the leader is in a "secret" lair.

The estate, located on the Black Sea, sits in around about 183 acres of forestry.

The astonishing scale and luxury of the property was revealed in 2021 when Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's Anti Corruption Foundation released an investigative documentary on it.

Putin has denied that the palace belongs to him, with the Kremlin saying that it is a private venture owned by various businessmen, however that has not stopped speculation that it could belong to Putin.

The video currently has more than 122 million views on YouTube.

Putin reportedly has a "cocoon" of protection with former KGB agents who are now acting in Russia's main security service, NBC report.

READ MORE: Ireland could house Ukrainian refugees in tents as Government 'exploring all options'

READ MORE: Irish citizens could be banned from entering Russia as Putin set to retaliate to sanctions

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