Ukrainian drone sparks forest fire just six miles from Putin’s Black Sea ‘palace’
Debris from a crashed Ukrainian drone sparked a forest fire on Wednesday night roughly 10 kilometers (six miles) from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s seaside mansion on the Black Sea coast, officials said.
The fire broke out between the village of Krinitsa and Gelendzhik, the closest town to the residence known as “Putin’s palace.” It initially covered 3,000 square meters (32,000 square feet) before spreading to 7,000 square meters (75,000 square feet), and the Emergency Ministry later reported it had grown to 32,000 square meters (340,000 square feet).
The wildfire trapped 23 people near the coastline, the ministry said, and a rescue boat was dispatched to evacuate them. According to Gelendzhik Mayor Alexey Bogodistov, a vacation resort had to be evacuated.
Ukrainian drone attacks have had a major impact on the Russian president’s travel habits. He’s largely stopped traveling to Sochi, which was previously one of his most frequent destinations. A source who knows Putin personally told journalists from Proekt that this is due to his fears for his safety.
