Ukraine Destroys Air Defences Protecting Putin's Rs 13,000-Crore 'Palace'

Ukrainian drones have struck a Russian S-400 air-defence missile system positioned to protect one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's most lavish residences on the Black Sea coast.

The S-400 "Triumph" launcher was located roughly 12 miles from Putin's sprawling residence near Gelendzhik in southern Russia. The system is designed to intercept aircraft, drones and cruise missiles.

According to Major Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's unmanned systems forces, the launcher was left "ablaze and sputtering for three hours" after the drone attack, the Telegraph reported.

Air Defence Turned Against Ukraine

The S-400 was reportedly part of a wider security network protecting the presidential compound. Electronic warfare systems and mobile fire teams are also deployed around the residence, which is surrounded by a 27-square-mile "buffer zone". A permanent no-fly zone is also maintained over the area.

But Brovdi claimed the launcher had been repurposed to fire missiles at Ukrainian cities, including six missiles launched on August 8.

The report stated that Russia has increasingly relied on systems such as the S-400 for strikes on Ukraine as it faces a shortage of Patriot interceptors, which are considered crucial for defending against ballistic missile attacks.

Inside Putin's Billion-Pound Retreat

The target was located close to the residence commonly dubbed "Putin's Palace", a vast Italianate complex whose alleged cost has been estimated at as much as Rs 12,000 crore.

An investigation by the Anti-Corruption Foundation, led by late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, detailed the property in 2021. Navalny died in a Siberian prison in 2024.

Reports about the estate have painted an extraordinary picture of luxury. The complex has allegedly included a casino, vineyard, spa, ice rink, theatre, pole-dancing room, hookah lounge, an "aquatic disco" and even a room for miniature railway trains. A chapel was reportedly added in 2023.

Putin is believed to visit the Black Sea residence only occasionally, with concerns over Ukrainian long-range drone strikes making the location increasingly risky.

Instead, he is thought to favour his heavily protected dacha on Lake Valdai, about 185 miles east of Moscow.

Ukraine Steps Up Strikes Inside Russia

The latest strike came after another Ukrainian drone attack in the same region last week. Drone fragments reportedly fell onto a beach, killing seven people.

Ukraine's military intelligence also said on Monday that its drones had destroyed two Russian S-400 launchers and struck an antenna used to control Orion medium-altitude drones in occupied Crimea.

Kyiv estimated that the damage from the operation could run into tens of millions of dollars.

The attacks are part of a broader Ukrainian campaign targeting Russian military and energy infrastructure. Large-scale drone raids have become almost routine, with Russia increasingly struggling to protect its territory from long-range strikes.

More than 450 Ukrainian drones reportedly entered Russian airspace overnight on Monday, striking an oil refinery in Tatarstan. At least 13 people were killed, making it one of the deadliest single attacks on Russian territory since the war began. Drone debris was also reported in Tyumen, in Siberia.

Kyiv Wants Pressure, Moscow Refuses A Freeze

Ukraine hopes its expanding drone campaign will raise the cost of the war and push the Kremlin towards negotiations.

Moscow, however, has shown little willingness to accept Kyiv's current terms.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin rejected Ukraine's demand for a frontline freeze and ceasefire on Monday and said, "No 'freeze' is possible without addressing the root causes of this crisis".