Russia deploys Pantsir-S1 systems near Valdai

Recent reports suggest heightened security measures around Russian President Vladimir Putin's residence in Valdai, western Russia. Satellite imagery and reports from Ukrainian and Eastern European outlets indicate the deployment of air defence systems, including Pantsir-S1 systems, near Valdai, purportedly to protect against potential threats such as Ukrainian drone incursions.

According to a recent report, a newly deployed short-range air defence system is protecting one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's residences in western Russia.

This development comes amid Ukraine's ongoing efforts to deploy explosive drones across the border into Russian territory. Satellite images, released by the Russian-language service of US-backed Radio Liberty, indicate that a Pantsir-S1 air defence system has been positioned on a tower located about two miles from Putin's residence in Valdai, western Russia. The images, dated May 6, were reported by the outlet, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

The images also indicate the presence of unidentified technology at the site, with speculation from a Radio Liberty journalist suggesting they could be long-range missiles.

Separately, the Eastern Europe-based outlet Nexta reported that it had identified two additional air defense systems northeast of Valdai.

According to the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, Valdai, located in Russia's Novgorod region, is one of several residences belonging to Russian leaders. Other official residences outside Moscow include Bocharov Ruchey in the Black Sea city of Sochi.

In early last year, a report from the Ukrainian outlet, the Kyiv Post, alleged that a Pantsir system had been positioned near the Kremlin leader's residence in Valdai. Photographs circulated on social media in January 2023 also depicted Pantsir systems mounted on rooftops in Moscow, including on a building utilized by the Russian Defence Ministry. Pantsir systems are designed as short-to-medium range air defense systems, commonly deployed to intercept aircraft, helicopters, and smaller threats such as drones or missiles.

The SA-22 Greyhound, also known as Pantsir, is a mobile, surface-to-air missile system capable of intercepting targets from distances ranging between 12 to 25 miles. Valdai is situated northwest of Moscow and southeast of St. Petersburg, approximately equidistant from both cities.

In mid-January, the Ukrainian outlet RBC-Ukraine reported that during an overnight drone attack orchestrated by Kyiv on an oil depot in St. Petersburg, one drone had passed over Putin's residence at Valdai, as per an unnamed source from special services. Ukraine claimed it used a domestically-produced drone to cover a distance of around 775 miles to reach the area near St. Petersburg, where it reportedly targeted a significant oil depot in Russia's Leningrad region.

The Russian Defence Ministry reported that its air defences successfully intercepted Ukrainian drones over the Moscow and Leningrad regions.