Kathrine Frich
More defence towers just popped up around his home.
High fences and security cameras usually keep unwanted visitors away from luxury estates.
When the homeowner happens to run a country at war, the hardware gets much heavier.
Satellite photos just revealed a massive construction spree around one heavily guarded retreat.
A ring of steel
Russian crews put up 16 new air defense towers in October near President Vladimir Putin’s home in Valdai, according to an investigation published Sunday by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Working with open-source intelligence researcher jembob, the outlet studied satellite images of the region.
Those pictures show the new structures standing within 50 kilometers south of the retreat, directly on the side facing Ukraine.
They form a fresh outer ring of protection. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty noted the towers likely hold Pantsir or Tor missile systems, which shoot down approaching aircraft and drones.
While researchers have not spotted new towers to the north yet, they say more building could follow.
Secret labs and railways
This southern defensive belt cuts across the Vyzhny Volochyok reservoir and the Khotilovo military airfield. Putin flies into Khotilovo when visiting the area, and a private train line links the base directly to his compound.
One defense tower has stood at that airfield since March 2026. Other platforms recently popped up by the reservoir near Fox Island, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
The Russian military built a laboratory complex there that an earlier investigation by the outlet tied to possible biological weapons research. Builders started putting up two towers next to that lab in early September, right after news of the site leaked out.
Rivaling the capital
With the October additions, Valdai now has more than 50 known air defense sites. That is a massive amount of firepower for a quiet area where fewer than 100,000 people live within a 50-kilometer radius.
By comparison, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported that Moscow and its surrounding region have roughly twice as many air defense sites built since the full-scale war in Ukraine began. Over 20 million residents live in and around the Russian capital.
Hardware is not the only thing growing around the Russian leader. Earlier, Putin also signed an order to hire more staff for the Federal Protective Service, marking the fourth time he has expanded his guard force since the invasion started.
