Vladimir Putin's alleged mistress has posted photos from Monaco on her social media profiles that were liked by her 'love child' daughter, it has emerged, after the Pandora Papers revealed she owns a plush apartment there through a secretive offshore firm.
Svetlana Krivonogikh, 46, has posted three photos that she tagged as being taken in Monaco - one showing a firework display, one of a rainbow overlooking the ocean, and a third showing yachts in the harbour.
On the yacht photo, which was posted in 2014, daughter Elizaveta replied with comment which said: 'Beautiful! I know this place!'
It shows the pair have links to Monaco, following the revelation that Krivonogikh owns a $4million apartment in Monte Carlo that was purchased for her via an offshore firm shortly after her daughter's birth.
Krivonogikh's ownership of the fourth-floor home, located in the Monte Carlo Star apartment block just below the famous casino, was revealed in the Pandora Papers leak - which also revealed her total worth to be around $100million.
Svetlana Krivonogikh, 46 and believed to be Putin's mistress, owns a $4million apartment in Monte Carlo through a secretive offshore firm, the Pandora Papers have revealed
Photos posted to Krivonogikh's social media further link her with Monaco, including this one of a firework display over the ultra-rich enclave
Krivonogikh also posted this image of Monaco's harbour from Monte Carlo, which her daughter and alleged Putin lovechild commented on - saying: 'I know this place!'
Her other assets, many of which are also controlled by offshore firms, include a yacht as well as shares of some of Russia's most-valuable state-owned firms.
Neither Krivonogikh nor her daughter has commented on the disclosures which unmask the hidden financial dealings of world leaders and their associates.
Nor have they or the Kremlin acknowledged Putin's paternity but Luiza told Russian GQ that she 'probably' looks 'similar' to a young Putin.
Krivonogikh is said to own a stake in a Kremlin-linked bank, and to hold a property portfolio.
It is unclear if Putin knew the latest leaks were coming when he last week demanded in a televised broadcast an end to 'digging into the dirty linen of some elites' by journalists.
He threatened a 'state order' to ensure the media instead cover 'real life' in the country.
The journalist who first revealed the Krivonogikh story, Roman Badanin, was later branded a 'foreign agent', while his outlet Proekt Media has halted work in Russia.
Since being 'outed' by the opposition media last year, student Luiza has become a social media star with more than 80,000 followers, her own fashion line, and is in demand as a DJ.
In recent months, she had spent time in Paris despite the Covid-19 restrictions.
Putin's spokesman said when the story originally broke that the love child allegations were 'not very convincing' and 'de facto unfounded', but this has not prevented widespread speculation.
Another image from Krivonogikh's social media showed a rainbow over an ocean view, which she also tagged as being taken in Monaco
Elizaveta is Krivonogikh's daughter and is believed to be Putin's lovechild. Her mother suddenly came into wealth after her birth in 2003
Putin's relationship to Svetlana supposedly ended around the time he was first romantically linked to Olympic gold medal winning gymnast Alina Kabaeva, 38, an ex-MP who is now head of a major pro-Kremlin media company.
Neither Kabaeva nor the Kremlin has confirmed such a relationship.
Putin has two daughters by his ex-wife Lyudmila, both born when he was a KGB spy.
Dr Maria Vorontsova, 36, is a geneticist, and Dr Katerina Tikhonova, 34, a high-kicking 'rock'n'roll' dancer-turned-mathematician.
Katerina is rumoured to harbour political ambitions.
Putin was once told by a BBC Russia reporter that it was an 'open secret' that Maria and Katerina were his children, but he declined to confirm the rumour.
Speculation that he has a family with Kabaeva have been met with official denials, but the rumours persist.
Putin has previously said: 'I have a private life in which I do not permit interference. It must be respected.'
He deplored 'those who with their snotty noses and erotic fantasies prowl into others' lives'.
Kabaeva is on record as saying she had met an unnamed man who 'I love very much', gushing: 'Sometimes you feel so happy that you even feel scared.'
The Pandora Papers are the largest-ever leak of data relating to offshore companies which are used by the ultra-wealthy to conceal their assets, potentially allowing them to avoid large amounts of tax.
Putin is not directly named in the Pandora Papers, but a number of his inner circle - including Krivonogikh - feature prominently
Such arrangements are also used for privacy reasons, as they allow the wealthy to keep their names away from purchases of properties, artworks, yachts, and other high-value assets - sometimes for legitimate reasons.
While Putin is not named directly in the papers, a number of his close associates - such as Krivonogikh - are.
One of the companies through which Krivonogikh owns the apartment was created for her by a British-born accountant - Eamonn McGregor - who also has links to other super-wealthy Russians.
Gennady Timchenko - a bureaucrat-turned-oil trader worth an estimated $22billion - is also a client of McGregor via Monte Carlo-based accounting firm Moores Rowland.
McGregor has looked after Timchenko's assets for two decades, the papers reveal, among them jets and a 130ft yacht called M/S Lena.
Also named in the papers is Petr Kolbin, a childhood friend of Putin whose family owned a house in the village of Imenitsy that Putin's parents rented when he was growing up.
Kolbin initially worked as a butcher, but in 2001 - shortly after Putin became president - his fortunes suddenly changed. He went into business and prospered, largely thanks to deals with some of Russia's biggest state-owned firms.
He, too, became a client of Moores Rowland and opened several overseas bank accounts that contained a fortune of $550million.
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