Gerard Depardieu's move to Russia has been dealt a massive blow after the complex which houses his new apartment burned down on Wednesday (03Apr13).

The French actor was granted Russian citizenship by President Vladimir Putin in December (12) following a dispute in his native country over plans to raise taxes on wealthy citizens, and he was subsequently given an apartment in Chechnya by the territory's leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

However, the property complex went up in smoke on Wednesday when one of the tower blocks in Grozny caught fire.

Flames devastated the building, which houses a five star hotel as well as residential properties.

It is not clear how much damage Depardieu's apartment suffered in the inferno.