Putin’s Valdai Residence Now Has 50+ Air Defense Positions—Half as Many as All of Moscow

Russia has built another 16 air-defense towers around Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s Valdai residence, bringing the number of identified air-defense positions in the surrounding area to more than 50, according to a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) investigation published October 25.

The new sites were identified through satellite imagery analyzed jointly with OSINT researcher jembob.

Investigators found that the 16 towers were constructed in October within roughly 50 kilometers south of the residence—the direction facing Ukraine.

The new structures appear to form an additional outer air-defense ring and are expected to host Pantsir gun-and-missile systems, Tor surface-to-air missile systems, or similar equipment.

No corresponding new positions have yet been identified along the northern section of the outer ring, although investigators said additional construction could follow.

The new defensive belt passes through Khotilovo military airfield and the area around the Vyshny Volochyok Reservoir.

Khotilovo is used for Putin’s travel, and a dedicated railway line connects the airfield area with his Valdai residence. One air-defense tower at the base had already been constructed by March 2026.

Several additional positions have appeared around the reservoir, including near Lisiy Island. Russian forces have built a laboratory complex there that, according to an earlier RFE/RL investigation, may be connected to Russia’s biological weapons research program.

Construction of two air-defense towers near that facility began in early September, roughly when the investigation into the laboratory became public.

The latest expansion pushes the number of known air-defense positions around Valdai above 50.

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That figure is particularly striking when compared with Moscow. Russia has built roughly twice as many air-defense positions to protect Moscow and the surrounding region since the beginning of the full-scale invasion—but Moscow and its suburbs are home to more than 20 million people.

Fewer than 100,000 people live in Valdai, the surrounding district, and nearby territory within roughly 50 kilometers.

Previously, Russian leader Vladimir Putin signed an order to expand the core personnel of the Federal Protective Service, marking the fourth increase since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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