Overview
- Radio Liberty’s analysis of Planet Labs images found seven new air-defense towers added around the Valdai residence in March 2026.
- The expansion brings the network to 27 positions arranged in two concentric rings at different ranges.
- Several of the new towers already host Pantsir units, short-range missile and gun systems designed to shoot down drones.
- The construction timeline lines up with Russian claims in mid-March that forces downed four Ukrainian drones over Leningrad Oblast.
- Similar tower defenses were earlier documented at the Alabuga zone in Tatarstan, where Russia produces Geran drones, signaling a broader push to shield leadership sites and UAV facilities.