Never-before-seen video has emerged of Vladimir Putin‘s secret northern hideout – just 18 miles from Russia’s border with NATO.

The despot, 71, is accused of “stealing” a scenic waterfall and a slice of commandeered national park – larger than Monaco – for his lake-and-forest retreat.

The secret bolthole which Putin shares with lover Alina Kabaeva, 40, a world-famous gymnast, is beside the picturesque 13ft Marjalahti waterfall.

He has a modernistic gazebo in full view of the beauty spot, sealed off from ordinary Russian people, according to the independent news outlet Dossier Centre.

The retreat is in the Lake Ladoga National Park in Karelia – as far north as the Faroe Islands – but close to the Russian NATO border with Finland.

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The retreat has a “separate underground entrance, a helipad and a pier for yachts [on Lake Ladoga], as well as the gazebo opposite the waterfall.”

The so-called “fisherman’s hut” has its own helipad and pier. Semi-precious stones are used in the interior decoration.

Nearby is a bathhouse, trout fishery and farm, a marbled beef farm and a secluded gazebo with breathtaking views of the lake.

“Here the president can enjoy nature in complete solitude. You can get here not only by air [helicopter], but also by yacht. To do this, Putin has a whole flotilla at his disposal.”

Just two-and-a-half miles away is a mansion, sauna and restaurant which, says Rozhdestvenskiy, is owned by Abramovich, as confirmed by entries in the Russian Real Estate Registry.

A hotel nearby is owned by Yuri Kovalchuk, an old friend of Putin and reputed to be the dictator’s “personal banker”.

“Kovalchuk has created a network of companies that deal with the president’s leisure activities and are responsible for all of his real estate, including the famous [Black Sea] palace near Gelendzhik and the mansion in Valdai, where the head of state visits most often,” said the report on YouTube channel Khodorkovsky.Live.

“Abramovich is not part of Putin’s inner circle but has always been close to the highest echelons of power,” according to the report.

On Putin visits to his northern luxury retreat “local security is replaced by FSO officers.

“The entrances are blocked, and neighbouring islands [on the lake] are blocked.

“The houses are fenced, with CCTV cameras and motion sensors on the fences. There is barbed wire running through the adjacent forest.”