Paranoid Putin ramps up air defence around forest palace he shares with gymnast lover as long-range Ukrainian strikes continue
A fearful Vladimir Putin has massively increased the air defence protection around his forest palace.
New revelations show more than 50 surface-to-air missile positions around the Valdai bunker home Russia’s 74-year-old dictator shares with lover Alina Kabaeva, 43, and their two young sons.
The full cost of the air defence weapons and emplacements along with the crews and equipment is likely to approach £1billion.
Fifteen new towers were erected at a 31-mile radius south of the sprawling complex in the Novgorod region, indicating the scale of Putin’s paranoia over his security, an investigation reveals.
‘In total, there are now more than 50 air defence positions around Valdai,’ reported Ukrainian news outlet Radio Svoboda, which is half the number protecting the 21.5 million people who live in Moscow and the surrounding region. The area surrounding Putin’s palace has fewer than 100,000 residents.
Experts suggest the sudden drive for additional protection for Putin comes as Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russia but Kyiv has denied any intention to strike the residence.
Russian president Vladimir Putin is pictured presenting a bouquet of flowers to his lover Alina Kabaeva, 43, at an event at the Kremlin
The couple live together their two young sons at the dictator’s palace in Valdai, a town located between Moscow and St Petersburg
Putin has doubled down on protecting himself with air defences (pictured) as the war comes home to Russia due to Ukraine’s domestically-made missiles and long-range drones
A map shows the array of towers intended to keep Putin and his secret family safe. One tower – housing a missile defence launcher – is just 1,312ft from the Valdai bolthole.
Radio Svoboda revealed earlier this month that there were 30 air defence towers in the vicinity of the palace, but now the full scale of the protective towers has been documented.
The towers are mainly for Pantsir or Tor short-to-medium-range anti-aircraft missile systems.
The S-400 system – a long- and medium-range ground-to-air missile system – is also used.
One local said: ‘See that tower? They’ve brought in a lot of soldiers – they’re building things there, constantly building.’
A teacher in nearby village Roshchino said: ‘That’s the air defence system – you wouldn’t recognise the sounds.
‘If it’s spinning, it means there’s no immediate danger overhead. If it stops, it means something is flying over us.’
It was recently revealed that anti-drone nets have been installed above lorry parking areas close to Valdai amid signs Putin fears a repeat of Ukraine’s spectacular Operation Spiderweb.
Putin has turned his Valdai palace into an air defence fortress, adding 16 more towers (marked on this map with red pintpoints) to bring total to 50
Half as many air defence towers protect Moscow and its 20 million people – with one just 400 metres from his Valdai home
Putin is in panic over an attack on his Valdai bunker palace as nets go up nearby to stop drone strikes launched from parked long-distance lorries
In the famous operation last year, Ukraine concealed drones in trucks that parked near multiple key military airfields.
The UAVs were released through the roofs and launched toward their targets which included Russia’s Tu-95 strategic bombers.
Now unusual netting structures have appeared above parking sites used by long-distance lorries along the M-10 motorway in Russia’s Novgorod region.
