Updated 01.59 | Published 00.50
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The Kremlin has denied that the secret luxury palace in the Black Sea belongs to Vladimir Putin.
Now new evidence has emerged.
The president’s bodyguards usually take a run in the area, reveals a leak from the training app Strava.
Several of Putin’s bodyguards have inadvertently shared their location while at secret facilities in recent years. The culprit in the drama is the training app Strava, which has been downloaded to the bodyguards’ mobile phones on the occasions.
The app is for exercisers to be able to save and compare their runs with themselves and their friends. In this way, it can also function as a kind of tracker.
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fullscreen Aerial view of Navalny’s review.
Analysis of running activities recorded by Putin’s bodyguards shows that in the years 2020-2024 they were repeatedly in the vicinity of a private palace located on a cliff in the Black Sea resort of Gelendzhik, reports The World.
A bodyguard ran three days in a row in front of the palace’s entrance earlier this year, according to data from the app.
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full screenPutin behind the wheel with his bodyguards in close company. Photo: Vyacheslav Prokofyev / AP
Putin: Not my property
Russian opposition leader and now deceased Alexei Navalny claimed in 2021 that Putin owned the palace, which reportedly cost over a billion euros to build.
Putin then said that neither he nor anyone close to him owns or has ever owned the palace.
The same app also connects Putin to another secret residence in northwestern Russia, just 30 kilometers from the border with Finland. The property consists of three main buildings, two helipads, a private waterfall, several yacht docks and a farm with cows, writes Newsweek.
A bodyguard from the Federal Protective Service Putin clocked a six-kilometer run in 2022 that began and ended in front of the complex. Another bodyguard ran the same year on the road leading up to the entrance. Putin has denied that the residence is his property.
Secret residence kilometers from the Finnish border.
Trump and Harris also tracked
Several celebrities have been mapped thanks to their bodyguards using the training app, such as Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, and Emanuel Macron, writes Le Monde.
In a statement, the security company Secret Service states that there have been no security breaches or threats against Trump or Biden following the leak from the app.
“We will evaluate the information,” the statement reads.
The Kremlin’s Dilemma: Strava, Secret Palaces, and a President in Running Shoes
Updated: 01.59 | Published: 00.50
Ah, the Kremlin’s latest twist in the saga of secret properties! Vladimir Putin has vehemently denied ownership of a luxury palace on the picturesque cliffs of the Black Sea. It’s the sort of opulence one might expect from a Bond villain, or perhaps from a man who enjoys a hearty run—because, dear readers, it seems his bodyguards may have unwittingly blown the punchline wide open.
New evidence has surfaced, courtesy of the fitness tracking app Strava. You see, in a classic case of “whoopsie daisy,” the president’s bodyguards apparently couldn’t keep their GPS under wraps while maintaining their cardio routine. Who knew that the secretive muscle behind Putin preferred their jogs alongside evidence gathering?
Running and Revealing: A Bodyguard’s Blunder
This isn’t just your average jogging session, mind you. We’re talking about elite bodyguards, running circles around a palace that the Kremlin claims doesn’t belong to their boss. According to reports from Le Monde, data analysis has shown that these fine fellows consistently track their runs right by the gated entrance of what is presumed to be a billion-euro palace. Next time you see Putin on TV, just know his bodyguards might have just been warming up for a jog—it’s as if they believe the best exercise is running from the truth!
For example, one sprightly guard managed a thrilling three-day running streak right outside the palace. If you’re not convinced this is incriminating, just imagine: “Oh, just another casual jog near my possibly not-owned by me whatsoever luxury edifice.” It’s difficult to maintain a solid alibi when you’re leaving digital footprints larger than a hippo in stilettos!
The Palace Denial and Beyond
Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the palace itself. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny claimed this lavishly constructed abode was indeed the abode of Putin back in 2021. To which Putin, like a determined game show contestant, protested, “I have no knowledge of this residence! I mean, who’d want a place like that?!” I could think of a few things—like living in practicality rather than opulence—but alas, that’s just me.
Meanwhile, we can’t ignore the *other* secret residence linked to Putin’s entourage, complete with a waterfall, yacht docks, and helipads. Because why have one palace to deny when you can have multiple?! Did anyone tell Putin that less is more?
Other Celebrities Caught Up
As a delightful twist, it isn’t just Putin’s henchmen caught in the Strava snare. The app has inadvertently tracked the likes of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and even Donald Trump. Imagine running near the White House and getting unintentional evidence of the president’s workout route. It’s almost enough to make you wonder if the Secret Service needs a group fitness session instead! While the authorities say there are no security breaches, they certainly have some amusing stories for their next briefing.
In the end, it seems that Russian president or not, everyone has to lace up their running shoes at some point. And next time, one would hope that those shoes are not so strategically linked to a palace getaway. But who knows? Maybe the real power lies not in the palace, but in the perfect 5K route.
And that, dear audience, is how a fitness app turned into a soap opera where people run for their secrets and stumble into a historical mockery. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must fetch my running shoes because there’s quite a lot to jog off after this revelation.
Updated 01.59 | Published 00.50
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The Kremlin continues to assert that a lavish, secretive palace nestled along the picturesque Black Sea coastline does not belong to President Vladimir Putin, amidst swirling controversy.
Recent revelations have surfaced, raising further questions about the president’s ties to this opulent estate.
Insider leaks from the fitness tracking app Strava unveil that Putin’s security team frequently engages in runs around this enigmatic location.
Significantly, several members of Putin’s elite bodyguard unit have unintentionally revealed their whereabouts while frequencing clandestine sites in recent years. The training app Strava, which has become a vessel of inadvertent information sharing, was found installed on the devices of these bodyguards during various instances.
Designed for workout enthusiasts, Strava allows users to record and compare their running routes and times — inadvertently functioning as a tracking tool, which has proven to be a double-edged sword.
Analysis of running activities logged by Putin’s bodyguards indicates that between 2020 and 2024, they consistently traversed areas near a clandestine palace perched on a cliff in Gelendzhik, a luxurious resort along the Black Sea.
Data from the app reveals a noteworthy incident this year, where a bodyguard conducted three consecutive runs right outside the palace’s gates.
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full screenPutin behind the wheel with his bodyguards in close company. Photo: Vyacheslav Prokofyev / AP
Putin: Not my property
In a striking claim, the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny alleged in 2021 that this magnificent palace, reportedly constructed at a staggering cost exceeding one billion euros, was a personal asset of Putin.
In response, Putin vehemently denied any ownership, insisting that neither he nor any associates have ever possessed the estate.
Interestingly, the same app has traced connections linking Putin to another hidden retreat located a mere 30 kilometers from the Finnish border. This sprawling property encompasses three principal buildings, features two helipads, boasts a private waterfall, multiple yacht docks, and even a farm housing cows, as reported by Newsweek.
Surveillance data shows that in 2022, a bodyguard from the Federal Protective Service recorded a six-kilometer run that both commenced and concluded at the entrance of this obscure complex. On another occasion that same year, a bodyguard was tracked running along the access road leading to the residence. Similarly, Putin has categorically denied ownership of this site.
Trump and Harris also tracked
Furthermore, several high-profile figures including Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, and Emmanuel Macron have also been inadvertently mapped through the Strava usage of their security personnel.
In light of these revelations, a statement from the Secret Service assures that no security breaches or threats against Trump or Biden have emerged following the app’s data leak.
“We will evaluate the information,” the statement read, leaving room for further inquiry.
