Putin humiliated as Kremlin accidentally reveals location of his secret 'clone' hideouts

Vladimir Putin is known to take his own personal security very seriously, often to the extremes. The Kremlin tyrant has over 20 years experience of dealing with the Byzantine and treacherous world of Russian politics.

He needs no convincing that his enemies - both at home and abroad - would not hesitate to kill him, if the chance ever presented itself. To help dodge the assassin's bullet, the Russian President has built a number of secret hideouts in his various residencies. At least three identical offices have been constructed in his various homes, all with the aim of concealing his true whereabouts.

However, researchers from Radio Free Europe have been able to identify the exact locations of the separate offices. They found that although they are nearly indistinguishable, there are certain small details that differentiate them from one another.

These include the shape of the door handles, decorative elements on the walls, the type of stationery, and subtle differences in the interior finish.

The investigators found that the offices were located at his residencies in Novo-Ogaryovo, in Valdai, and in Sochi.

The so-called "clone offices" have helped hide Putin's whereabouts, amid fears that Ukrainian drones could target him.

However, the design irregularities will potentially provide those looking to rid Russia of its dictator vital clues as to his whereabouts.

The Radio Free journalists established that Putin has spent most of his time since January 2025 at his Valdai retreat.

Out of 30 public appearances in the "beige office" between January and September 2025, 29 were recorded in the Valdai clone.

Valdai is the most heavily protected property - surrounded by 14 air-defence systems, including 13 Pantsir complexes, according to Russian media reports.

Putin is also renowned for using doubles to help protect himself from assassination. The head of Ukraine's Intelligence Service Kyryll Budanov claimed he has at least three, who currently appear regularly in public.