A MYSTERY fire has gutted part of Vladimir Putin's mountain palace said to be home to a sprawling nuclear bunker for his secret family.
The inferno ripped through a building at the Altai Mountain bolthole - where Putin once entertained former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi.
The tyrant is also believed to have a grim facility where deer blood is extracted from antlers for "medicinal" baths at the secret hideaway.
One of the buildings at the remote compound was destroyed by the blaze.
Pictures showed flames engulfing the building at the palace estate - which is officially owned by Gazprom but is believed to be one of an array of luxury palaces around Russia.
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The extent of damage to the complex's main residence is unclear.
The cause of the inferno is also not known, but it comes after months of "sabotage fires" at key Russian facilities - seen as triggered by foes of Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine.
The fire was revealed by blogger Amyr Aitashev and activist Aruna Arna.
Officials refused to comment on the blaze, reported Sirena news outlet.
Opposition investigators are certain the vast estate in the Altai Republic - amid stunning mountain scenery - is linked to Putin.
Russians are not allowed to go near the elite hideout spot for the despot as security says the place is a "specially protected facility intended for the recreation of senior officials of the state".
Reports claim a hi-tech bunker has been built at the complex for the tyrant and his secret family in the event of a nuclear war.
The palace is in the Ongudaysky district of the Altai Republic, a region of Siberia bordering Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan.
Observers have noted multiple ventilation points in the grounds surrounding the mountain hideout, and a high voltage line linked to an ultra-modern 110-kilovolt substation - enough to power a small city.
During construction, vast German tunnel diggers were reported to have been at the site.
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The hideaway is said to have a deer farm where antlers are sawn off Siberian stags so Putin and his cronies can take blood baths.
It is an ancient practice that is said to be a testosterone-driven elixir to improve male potency.
There is also a theory it slows ageing in women, but there is a lack of medical evidence as a cure for ailments.
The blitz came just hours after Ukraine received a go-ahead to hit inside Russian territories using American weapons.
The major shake-up comes as Russia continues to attack Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv as they look to seize more Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine has been constantly calling for additional support from the West with Biden finally responding with a partial change to US policy in a move that is all but certain to anger an already paranoid Putin.
Biden's secretive decision means US weapons can now be used by Ukraine for "counter-fire purposes" on their aggressors.
