The Western world is holding its breath as tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalate, watching on as Vladimir Putin increases the military presence on his country's border.
On Monday night, Putin ordered troops into two eastern regions of Ukraine, Luhansk and Donetsk, which he says are "independent states", - a move that Boris Johnson said signals the beginning of a "full-scale invasion" of the nation.
Over the last few years Putin's power has grown after constitutional changes in 2020 allowed him to rule the country until 2036 - when he'll be in his eighties.
In 2018, Forbes listed Putin as the second most powerful person in the world with an estimated fortune of billions - and he certainly lives a lifestyle to match.
A $1billion mansion known as 'Putin's Palace' and a £73m superyacht are believed to be highlights of his portfolio - but there also reports he has 19 other homes, 58 planes and helicopters, 700 cars and a watch collection worth $500,000
The Russian president is even known to have flaunted his power through ownership of outlandish pets - including a tiger called Boris, who he released into the wild on live TV in 2015.
Speaking to the Washington Post, hedge fund manager Bill Browder estimated Putin's wealth was around $200billion USD - but his fortune is surrounded by mystery.
Putin's Palace
While it's well-known that Putin owns several luxury properties in Russia, one particular mansion reported to belong to the Russian president has turned heads in recent weeks.
The so-called 'Putin's Palace,' which is thought to be worth more than $1 billion, was reportedly built for Putin's personal use.
Last month nearly 500 photos of the lavish mansion were published by Alexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Fund, set up by the outspoken Putin critic who is now in jail.
The Guardian reports the palace, which is on Russia's Black Sea coast, has a marble swimming pool decorated with statues of Greek gods, a wine cellar, a theatre, and a club-like space for pole dancing.
Photos also show garish four poster beds adorned with plush cushions and extravagant chandeliers and curtains.
Georgy Alburov, a researcher for the Foundation, said the palace was decorated in a style similar to that you'd expect from King Louis XIV.
After the video was released, Russian state TV responded with a second video, supposedly also of the Palace. But it painted a very different picture.
The ostentatious decor that had been featured in the first video appeared to be gone - replaced with bare walls.
Putin denied owning the sprawling palace altogether, saying the Navalny video was "boring."
But a BBC investigation which spoke to several builders who worked on the palace confirmed many of the allegations in the original video. However, many claimed the palace was undergoing renovation due to mould on the ceiling and walls.
£73 million yacht
The Russian president often uses press opportunities to flaunt his wealth - particularly in conspicuous assets he's owned over the years.
And he's recently shown off another lavish purchase - a 270ft super yacht, complete with a swimming pool and a helipad.
The Daily Mail reports the multi-million pound vessel, called Graceful, was built in Russia but moved to Germany for modifications.
Just a few weeks ago, the yacht was swiftly moved out of Germany in a move thought to be an avoidance of economic sanctions against Russia from the West.
Snaps of the luxury yacht show a gold spiral staircase, a plush living room and art deco-style bedrooms.
Graceful even boasts a gym on the decking of the yacht, for a workout with a sea view.
He's also driven to the bottom of the Gulf of Finland in a C-Explorer 3.11 Submersible to explore the Soviet Shchuka-class submarine Shch-308 sunken during World War II.
Bulletproof limos and plane with gold bathroom
Putin doesn't just dominate the waters with his high-end, expensive vehicles - and he's rumoured to also own a collection of 700 cars.
In 2018, Newsweek reported the Russian president had ordered the production of a bulletproof fleet of limos in Russia, estimated to be worth $192 million.
The Aurus Senat, which he hoped would become an eastern rival to the Rolls Royce, started to turn heads in the Middle East - although not all the models are as high-tech as his own presidential car.
Putin's Senat can withstand chemical gas attacks and sniper fire, and also features an advanced communication system, complete with CCTV cameras.
When he's travelling by plane, he cruises in his £390million jet dubbed the 'Flying Kremlin'.
The plane, designed in a neo-classical style, can reach speeds of 590mph and is laced with gold throughout its interior - even on the lid of the loo. In fact, the bathroom alone is said to be worth £47,000, reports the Guardian.
The Sun reports the jet boasts a gym, a fully-stocked bar and three bedrooms - but it's also kitted out with functional assets you need when you're commanding an army.
The plane has a full communications room Putin can use if he needs to mobilise troops while he's in the air.
Mysterious fortune
While Putin has no problem showing off how much money he has tied up in assets, he's less forthcoming about where the money came from in the first place.
Several theories about the Russian president's fortune have circulated over the years, but no one has ever been able to get to the bottom of his outlandish wealth.
Bill Browder thinks the imprisonment of Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky could provide some answers.
In 2003, Khodorkovsky, who had an estimated wealth of $15 billion, was jailed for fraud and tax evasion - something he's always denied.
But Browder thinks the arrest could have allowed Putin to cut deals with other wealthy Russian oligarchs.
He told Forbes: "The deal was, 'You give me 50 per cent of your wealth and I’ll let you keep the other 50 per cent'."
Another theory is that Putin used his influence to help friends and family earn money over the years - and they have offered him cash and shares in big companies in return.
Forbes reports there is one more viable theory explaining Putin's enormous fortune, called the Bluster Model.
Put simply, this theory relies on the belief that the ex-KGB agent doesn't actually have the enormous wealth he boasts, but just wants people to think he does.
It's possible that, despite the sprawling palaces, luxurious yachts and high-tech car fleets, the Russian president is simply playing the role of one of the richest men in the world.
