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Putin’s sex-mad ‘flexible’ Olympian lover reappears from ‘fortified palace’ with costly new look

Alina Kabaeva, the ex-Olympic gymnastics champion long rumoured to be Vladimir Putin’s partner, has reignited “quiet luxury” speculation after being pictured in St Petersburg

Vladimir Putin’s sex-crazed gymnast lover showed off an expensive new look as she emerged rom the heavily fortified mansion where the tyrant hides her away.

Alina Kabaeva, 42, was seen wearing a stylish Gucci tweed jacket and a basic white T-shirt with jeans at an international rhythmic gymnastics tournament in St Petersburg, where she supported athletes from her “Heavenly Grace” academy.

The former world champion gymnast – long rumoured to be the randy Russian despot’s secret lover and mother of two his children – wore her hair in soft waves and tied it back with a large black bow, pictures from the event show.

Alina is one of Russia’s most decorated gymnasts and one of only three in history to win all the major titles: the Olympics, World Championships, European Championships, the World Cup Final and the Grand Prix Final.

Since retiring from the sport, she earned two degrees, spent seven years as a member of the State Duma and also worked as a TV presenter.

In around 2006, while still married to first lady Lyudmila, sex-mad Vlad targeted Alina, who was dubbed “Russia’s most flexible woman”, after she woman stripped off for a lads mag. Her singer ex Murat Nasyrov died the following year after a fall from a Moscow balcony.

Alina’s “Heavenly Grace” project developed in two stages; first as an experimental tournament, then as a full sports academy. The academy’s main building was officially opened in Sochi in December 2022, and the organisation has since grown into a major pathway for elite athletes.

The retired athlete has consequently been sanctioned by the UK, EU and US over her links to the Russian leadership and her role in state-aligned media.

In recent months, she is said to have been holed up in Putin’s favourite mansion in Lake Valdia, which he was reported to have surrounded with a massive £430million ring of drone-killer missiles to protect Alina and their sons.

The Russian tyrant has fortified his his secret woodland love nest with a staggering 27 air defence towers, the Daily Star previously reported.

The move came as the Kremlin chief has grown increasingly terrified of Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes hitting him where it hurts.

The residence, tucked away on a peninsula between two lakes, is now guarded by a forest of Pantsir anti-aircraft systems.

The sky-shielding weaponry is Russia’s gold standard for hunting small, low-flying targets and carries a price tag of up to £16million per unit.

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