24 January 2023 , 11:41
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New footage has revealed major air defences set up close to Vladimir Putin’s secret forest palace to "protect him and his family".
Images first showed a Pantsir-S1 air defence system installed near the presidential hideaway at Valdai in the Novgorod region. Then another deployment of the same missile system emerged just six miles from Putin’s official residence near Moscow.
Some are saying this latest development shows Putin's paranoia as Ukraine continues to win the war and he feels the need to be protected from Ukrainian drones or missiles.
Independent Russian news outlet Agentstvo Novosti said: "These air defence systems protect President Vladimir Putin and his family from a possible Ukrainian strike."
There are rumours that Putin and his young family with former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva are now usually based in one of several secret bunker complexes.
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Vladimir Putin's official residence Novo-Ogarevo in Moscow (Radio Svoboda /e2w)While many believe he and Kabaeva are together, he has never publicly declared the relationship, following his divorce in 2013 from wife Lyudmila.
He previously said: "I have a private life in which I do not permit interference. It must be respected.”
Putin’s spokesman refused to comment on the air defences in Moscow and said it was up to the defence ministry to explain.
"They are responsible for ensuring the security of the country in general and the capital in particular,” he said.
Three servicemen are constantly near the system, which has a rotating radar antenna, Agentstvo Novosti said.
Another new deployment of a Pantsir-S1 complex has emerged just six miles from Putin’s official residence near Moscow (East2West)
The deployment is at Zarechye village, close to his country retreat Novo-Ogarevo (East2West)Pictures also showed a Pantsir missile system on top of Russia's National Defence Management Centre on the Frunzenskaya Embankment in Moscow.
Further images appeared to show photos of the S-400 missile defence system in the fields belonging to the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy in the northwest of the city and on Losiny island in a national park to the northeast.
The Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and gun system are designed to intercept aircraft and incoming missiles.
Vladimir Putin and Alina Kabaeva at an event at the Kremlin (Kremlin.ru)The Russian military has also said they could be used against smaller targets, such as military and commercial drones.
“It [the missiles] means that [the leadership] perfectly understand all the risks and understands that strikes against Moscow and the regions are just a question of time. It’s good to begin planning in advance instead of after the first strikes", wrote Alexander Kots, a prominent Russian journalist who supports the Russian war in Ukraine.
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