Bombarded by Western sanctions, Vladimir Putin's main squeeze has scurried from the pristine streets of Lugano in Switzerland to hole up in a forest palace in Russia to hide their opulent lifestyle from public view.
Last year, as bombs rained down on Ukrainian cities from Kyiv to Kherson, Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast and Putin's rumoured bedfellow Alina Kabaeva sought refuge in a private chalet in the south of the country.
A far cry from Ukraine's rubble-cluttered streets, the roads of Lugano are spotlessly clean and weave between stores sporting high-end brands like Cartier, Gucci and Louis Vuitton - many of which stopped trading in Russia after Putin unleashed his troops on Moscow's western neighbour.
