VLADIMIR Putin’s £100million luxury superyacht is being escorted from the frontline by two Russian warships amid fears of Ukrainian drone attacks.

The colossal 267ft Graceful is currently sailing up the coast of Norway, heading for the northern Russian port of Murmansk.

Flanking the vessel are two Russian naval ships: the heavily armed I-class destroyer Severomorsk and the 7,500-tonne salvage and patrol ship Voevoda.

In a striking display of Putin’s apparent paranoia, the mega-yacht has even been fitted with anti-drone nets to help protect it from aerial ambush.

The convoy is being closely monitored by Nato, while German and Danish Navy patrol ships followed the vessels through the Baltic Sea.

Putin is thought to have taken numerous trips aboard the multi-million pound yacht, equipped with both fresh and saltwater pools, a helipad, gym and secure communications centre.

The sleek white vessel is also known as Putin’s “love nest” which he shares with his secret gymnast lover Alina Kabaeva.

It was relocated from a shipyard in Hamburg, Germany to Kaliningrad just over two weeks before the start of invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Four months later, the US designated the yacht as blocked property under sweeping sanctions, forcing the vessel to be renamed the Kosatka – meaning “Killer Whale”.

The whereabouts of the yacht was unknown until last week when it re-emerged for the first time in four years.

Its identification system broadcast its journey through the Danish Strait before switching off its transponder while entering the North Sea.

The accompanying Voevoda continued to broadcast its location as it tracked up the Norwegian coast.

The convoy is now expected to pass by the Arctic city of Tromsø before finally docking in Murmansk.

John Foreman, Britain’s defence attaché to Moscow until 2022, said: “They don’t want to take any chances.

“Moving it further away from the Ukrainians after they pummelled Kronstadt.”

Only a week ago, Ukrainian long-range drones devastated the Russian Kronstadt naval base on Kotlin Island, east of St Petersburg.

The attack in the Gulf of Finland struck one of Moscow’s few modern warships, the RFS Boiky.

In November, a similar attack struck the Kremlin’s Gepard-class frigates Tatarstan and Dagestan, along with several smaller missile ships, while they were sailing in the Caspian Sea.

The Graceful is the second luxury yacht with ties to the Kremlin boss to seek refuge away from Europe.

Last month, the Victoria fled from the Black Sea, slipped down the Bosphorus Strait, before heading for the Turkish holiday destination of Bodrum.

Maritime documents show the owner of the 233ft luxury vessel is owned by a corporation with ties to Gennady Timchenko, a well-reported associate and friend of the Russian president.

An investigation by independent Russian outlet Russian Centre revealed the ship was used by members of Putin’s inner circle.

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