RuLeaks posts photos of alleged ‘Putin Palace’

RuLeaks, a WikiLeaks type site owned and operated by the Russian Pirate Party, was shut down by a denial of service attack yesterday after posting photos of a lavish mansion alleged to be Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s estate on the Black Sea. The site, and the photos, are now back up.

The existence of the “Putin palace” on the Black Sea was discussed by the Washington Post’s David Ignatius in an article last year. According to Russian whistleblower Sergey Kolesnikov, the still under-construction digs cost more than $1 billion, include an amphitheater and three helipads and is being “predominantly paid for with money donated by Russian businessmen.” Putin’s spokesman denied the report, saying that the building has nothing to do with Putin.

From the photos, the place certainly looks fit for a Romanov, with frescoed ceilings, outdoor maze bushes, marble floors, and four-post beds. Bizarrely, a man who appears to be a construction worker with his face blacked out poses in a number of the shots. (He may want to read up on the fates of previous WikiLeakers.) RuLeaks’ description of the photos coyly describes them as “photographs of a palace, which has recently been discussed in the press“.

RuLeaks, which was founded on Jan. 14, operates on servers outside the country. The Pirate Party says it is currently looking into the source of the DDoS attack.

More lavish images from the (possibly) “Putin Palace” below the jump: