Over 50 air defence towers reportedly built around Putin's Valdai residence
Another 16 air defence towers have been built around Russian leader Vladimir Putin's Valdai residence. The total number of air defence positions in the area has now exceeded 50.
Source: Radio Liberty's Russian Service, citing an analysis of satellite imagery conducted jointly with OSINT analyst jembobineuse
Details: The new towers were built mainly south of the residence, within a 50 km radius. They form an outer air defence ring facing Ukraine.
The journalists assume that Pantsir or Tor anti-aircraft missile systems may be placed on the towers.
Some of the new positions are located near the Hotilovo military airbase, which is used by Putin, and the Vyshny Volochyok Reservoir, where the Russian military built a secret laboratory complex.
The journalists estimate that there are now more than 50 air defence positions around Valdai. This is roughly half the number built in Moscow and Moscow Oblast since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Background: In mid-April, it became known that seven new towers armed with Pantsir air defence systems had been built around Putin's Valdai residence during March, bringing the total to 27.
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