THE WAR PUTIN STARTED IS SHRINKING HIS OWN WORLD

THE WAR PUTIN STARTED IS SHRINKING HIS OWN WORLD Vladimir Putin has avoided Sochi for a record 322 days as Ukrainian drones increasingly reach Russia’s Black Sea coast, according to the Financial Times and independent Russian outlet Agentstvo. Before the full-scale invasion, Sochi was one of Putin’s favorite destinations. He visited 24 times in 2021 […]

THE WAR PUTIN STARTED IS SHRINKING HIS OWN WORLD

Vladimir Putin has avoided Sochi for a record 322 days as Ukrainian drones increasingly reach Russia’s Black Sea coast, according to the Financial Times and independent Russian outlet Agentstvo.

Before the full-scale invasion, Sochi was one of Putin’s favorite destinations. He visited 24 times in 2021 and as many as 37 times in some earlier years. In 2024 and 2025, he appeared there only twice each year. His last public visit was in October 2025, and he skipped his customary spring trip entirely.

The change began after Ukrainian drones started reaching the region in 2023. Putin has since largely confined himself to Moscow, St. Petersburg and his heavily protected Valdai residence. Ahead of Russia’s parliamentary elections, most of his regional appearances have reportedly taken place east of the Urals—far beyond the usual range of Ukrainian drones.

The war is also damaging the Black Sea tourism industry. Visitor numbers have fallen 10.8% over the past year, bookings at some hotels are down by as much as 20%, and air-ticket sales to Sochi have fallen 40%. Air-raid alerts, drone interceptions, fires, oil spills and fuel shortages have become part of the Russian vacation experience.

Some Russians continue arriving regardless. One guesthouse owner told the FT that people are simply exhausted by the war and want a change of scenery—even if the destination now comes with sirens and drones.

Putin ordered millions of Ukrainians to live beneath missiles, yet his own movements suggest that he is unwilling to accept even a fraction of the danger he created. Zelenskyy, meanwhile, continues visiting frontline communities and meeting the soldiers defending them.

Putin wants Russians to believe that the war remains distant. His abandoned routines, restricted movements and declining Black Sea resorts tell a very different story.