Moscow Turns to Makeshift Rooftop Air Defenses as Ukrainian Drone Threat Reaches Capital

Russia is installing new Pantsir-SMD-E air defense systems on the rooftops of civilian buildings in Moscow, using a Mi-26 heavy transport helicopter to lift the systems into place, military analyst Massimo Frantarelli reported on X on May 27.

Footage circulating online shows one of the systems being placed on the roof of the Nordstar Tower business center in Moscow’s Northern Administrative District, on Begovaya Street.

The Pantsir-SMD-E is presented as a version of the Pantsir system specifically adapted to counter drones. Unlike the Pantsir-S1, the SMD-E combat module does not have 30mm automatic cannons.

Instead, the system uses two types of missiles: standard 95Ya6 missiles with an engagement range of up to 20 kilometers, and smaller TKB-1055 missiles designed to intercept small targets. The TKB-1055 reportedly has a range of up to 7 kilometers and can engage targets at altitudes of up to 5 kilometers.

Its radar package includes a surveillance radar with an active electronically scanned array and a detection range of up to 24 kilometers, as well as a 1RS2-1 millimeter-wave radar.

Russia began placing Pantsir air defense systems on rooftops in Moscow in 2023. One of the most visible cases was the deployment of a Pantsir-S1 on the roof of the Russian Defense Ministry’s main building in the capital.

Since then, Russia has built a layered air defense ring around Moscow using Pantsir systems and mobile fire groups.

In 2025, Russia reportedly deployed more than 40 additional Pantsir-S1 systems around Moscow, some of which were transferred from other regions. According to analyst Mark Krutov, the total number of air defense systems used to reinforce the Russian capital since 2023 has exceeded 100 units.

The rooftop deployment of the newer Pantsir-SMD-E highlights Moscow’s growing concern over drone attacks reaching deep into Russian territory, including the capital itself.

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Category

War in Ukraine

How Ukraine’s Drone Campaign Brought the War to Moscow

May 18, 2026 18:46

Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign has steadily brought the war closer to Moscow. What began in May 2023 with symbolic strikes near the Kremlin has evolved into large-scale drone waves targeting oil refineries, defense-linked industry, air defense systems, airports, logistics hubs, and strategic infrastructure around the Russian capital.

Over the past three years, Moscow has been forced to adapt to a new reality: airport shutdowns, mobile internet restrictions, additional electronic warfare systems, and a growing ring of air defenses around the capital. The campaign has shown that Russia’s political and economic center is no longer insulated from the consequences of Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

Earlier, reports emerged that, faced with a relentless and increasingly deep-penetrating Ukrainian drone campaign, Russia’s top business lobby has appealed directly to Russian leader Vladimir Putin for heavy weaponry, electronic warfare systems, and dedicated military reservists to protect private industrial facilities.

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