WOTD; WORD OF THE DAY
Around Putin’s Valdai residence — and that of his alleged companion Alina Kabaeva, air defenses have expanded from 2 to 12 positions, with Pantsir-S1 systems mounted on special towers a la WW II.
by Kyiv Post | Aug. 13, 2025
Photo:x/SvobodaRadio
Around Vladimir Putin’s residence in Valdai, air defenses have been significantly reinforced: there are now 12 positions, mostly equipped with Pantsir-S1 systems mounted on special towers. By comparison, in 2023–2024 there were only two such sites.
According to Radio Svoboda, which analyzed new Yandex satellite images and photos from the Yandex.Mirror service, in Moscow and the Moscow region — home to over 20 million people — journalists counted 60 air defense positions.
Valdai is a town in Russia’s Novgorod region, located between Moscow and St. Petersburg. It lies on the shores of Lake Valdai, in the center of the Valdai Hills, approximately 350 km (about 217 miles) northwest of Moscow and about 140 km (approximately 87 miles) southeast of Veliky Novgorod.
The first Pantsir-S1 air defense system near Putin’s residence was spotted by local residents in January 2023, and another was identified by Radio Svoboda journalists in July 2024.
OSINT analysts joke that these new fortifications resemble “Flaktürme” — anti-aircraft towers used by the Nazis during World War II.
According to media reports, Putin’s alleged companion — Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva — often spends time in Valdai together with their children. As the Russian outlet Proekt reported in 2023, a new house was built there for Kabaeva and the children, and her assistants were given apartments near the Russian president’s residence.
“Flaktürme”: Nazi flak tower under construction in 1942.
Around Vladimir Putin’s residence in Valdai, air defenses have been significantly reinforced: there are now 12 positions, mostly equipped with Pantsir-S1 systems mounted on special towers. By comparison, in 2023–2024 there were only two such sites.
According to Radio Svoboda, which analyzed new Yandex satellite images and photos from the Yandex.Mirror service, in Moscow and the Moscow region — home to over 20 million people — journalists counted 60 air defense positions.
Valdai is a town in Russia’s Novgorod region, located between Moscow and St. Petersburg. It lies on the shores of Lake Valdai, in the center of the Valdai Hills, approximately 350 km (about 217 miles) northwest of Moscow and about 140 km (approximately 87 miles) southeast of Veliky Novgorod.
The first Pantsir-S1 air defense system near Putin’s residence was spotted by local residents in January 2023, and another was identified by Radio Svoboda journalists in July 2024.
OSINT analysts joke that these new fortifications resemble “Flaktürme” — anti-aircraft towers used by the Nazis during World War II.
According to media reports, Putin’s alleged companion — Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva — often spends time in Valdai together with their children. As the Russian outlet Proekt reported in 2023, a new house was built there for Kabaeva and the children, and her assistants were given apartments near the Russian president’s residence.
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“Flaktürme”: Nazi flak tower under construction in 1942.
(Photo by Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-J16840 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de. Wikimedia Commons.)
Next to Putin’s dacha is Kabaeva’s own mansion with an area of 1,200 square meters. Construction began in 2020 and was completed in two years. Journalists believe she is the dictator’s mistress and the mother of his three children.
Putin, Kabaeva, and the children use a separate railway line with a guarded station built in 2019. The station has a helipad from which the dictator flies to his Valdai residence.
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Next to Putin’s dacha is Kabaeva’s own mansion with an area of 1,200 square meters. Construction began in 2020 and was completed in two years. Journalists believe she is the dictator’s mistress and the mother of his three children.
Putin, Kabaeva, and the children use a separate railway line with a guarded station built in 2019. The station has a helipad from which the dictator flies to his Valdai residence.
To suggest a correction or clarification, write to us here
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
Contact Us
Kyiv Post
Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization since 1995. Its international market reach of 97% outside of Ukraine makes it truly Ukraine’s Global – and most reliable – Voice.
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