Around the Valdai residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, another ring of air-defence towers has been built. It runs via the Khotilovo military base, which is used as a “backup airfield” for Putin, and the area around Fox Island, where a new laboratory complex is located.
Radio Liberty reports this, citing an analysis of satellite imagery.
In October, new positions for Pantsir or Tor surface-to-air missile systems were identified to the south of the residence within a 50-kilometre radius. Positions in the northern part of the ring have not yet been established. It is possible they will be set up in the coming months.
One of the towers in the outer ring appeared back in March 2026 on the grounds of the Khotilovo military base. Putin regularly uses this base, and a specially built railway spur leads from there to the Valdai residence.
Several more air-defence positions were set up on the shore of the Vyshnevolotsk Reservoir. On Fox Island, the Russian military has built a new laboratory complex that is likely linked to Russia’s biological weapons programme.
At around the same time, construction of two air-defence towers began on the island.
In January 2026, the Russian military claimed that Ukraine had allegedly tried to attack Putin’s Valdai residence with drones. Kyiv rejected the accusations. Independent experts and the US Central Intelligence Agency also expressed doubts about the alleged attempted attack.
Overall, more than 50 air-defence positions are now being recorded around Valdai. That is roughly half the number of air-defence positions built in Moscow and the Moscow region after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
At the same time, fewer than 100,000 people live in Valdai, the Valdai district, and within a 50-kilometre radius of the residence, whereas the population of Moscow and the Moscow region exceeds 20 million.