Several of Putin's homes have been connected to railway lines with secret stations built nearby for his armored train: report

• Putin's main residences have been connected to a secret railway line, Proekt reported.
• Proekt identified evidence of hidden stations near his homes in Valdai, Moscow, and Sochi.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's main residences have been connected to a secret railway line, allowing him to travel inconspicuously and safely by armored train, according to the investigative Russian outlet Proekt.

In fact, hidden stations span across the country, according to the report, which used a combination of investigative reporting, satellite imagery, and sightings to identify elements of the secret railway line in at least three locations.

Near Putin's palace in Valdai, which is about halfway between Moscow and St. Petersburg, a reporter identified a guarded railway station in the fall of 2022, the outlet said.

The reporter was moved on by a guard when he tried to approach it.

The station is in Dolgie Borody, the nearest settlement to Putin's residence, and has a heliport attached, according to the media outlet. Satellite imagery reviewed by Proekt seemed to indicate that it was built in 2019.

An engineer told the media outlet that he worked on the railway line's construction and said that repairs had only been made on the tracks that led directly to Putin's palace.

The engineer also claimed to have seen Putin's special train traveling on the route on at least one occasion, per Proekt.

Satellite images identified another station in Novo-Ogaryovo, on the outskirts of Moscow, a little over 3,000 feet away from the suburban estate that Putin self-isolated in after being exposed to COVID-19 in April 2020, Proekt reported.

The land that the station sits on was apparently seized from a private owner by the FSO, Russia's federal protection service, the media outlet said.

The station is hidden behind a tall fence that has security cameras installed across it, per Proekt.

Proekt also identified a station near to Bocharov Ruchey, Putin's summer home in Sochi, which is also hidden behind a tall barrier.

Trainspotters have previously reported sightings of what is believed to be Putin's secret train in motion, according to images shared on a Russian train travel message board.

Details of the supposed secret railway line and stations follows a report by the Dossier Center, a group that tracks the activity of Kremlin associates, which said Putin has been using a special armored train to travel between his homes since 2021.

Putin began to use it more regularly in the lead up to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, opting to travel by train rather than by private plane, the Dossier Center said.

According to the group, the train is equipped with hidden radio antennas and armor.