According to a report, Vladimir Putin has had a new missile site built near the Kremlin.Image: keystone
Russia is probably increasing its protection of Moscow: According to a report, a new S-400 position is near the Kremlin – and near a foundation run by Putin’s daughter.
June 27, 2026, 09:42June 27, 2026, 09:42
Russia has apparently set up a new position for its S-400 anti-aircraft system in the immediate vicinity of the Kremlin. This emerges from research by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Accordingly, the new air defense position is located less than ten kilometers from the Russian center of power – on the site of the Innopraktika Foundation, which is headed by Putin’s daughter Katerina Tikhonova.
According to RFE/RL, satellite images show that a concrete platform was constructed there and S-400 systems were stationed there. The foundation is considered a state-supported project with a volume of around 1.7 billion dollars. The location is on a hill in Moscow city center, around 300 meters from a building at Moscow State University.
According to RFE/RL, the new position is at least the fifth installation of its kind in an emerging air defense ring within the Russian capital. Their shape and size correspond to other military installations that RFE/RL had previously identified in Moscow. According to the report, the position is considered to be the closest known S-400 position to the Kremlin to date.
Moscow is strengthening protection against possible missile attacks
According to RFE/RL, the facility could be part of a larger expansion of air defense around Moscow. Unlike the Pantsir systems already installed in the capital region, which are primarily used to defend against drones, S-400 systems are designed to defend against aircraft and missiles over longer ranges. RFE/RL writes that the new positions could be used to respond to Ukraine’s growing ballistic missile attack capabilities.
Ukraine recently reported progress on its own long-range weapons. Ukrainian arms manufacturer Fire Point said on June 24 that it had developed two ballistic missiles. RFE/RL described them as the first ballistic missiles to be domestically produced in independent Ukraine. In addition, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine had successfully tested advanced long-range drones that could reach targets up to 3,000 kilometers away.
Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian infrastructure have also increased in recent months. According to RFE/RL, they have contributed to the worst nationwide fuel shortages in Russia in years. At least 17 regions have imposed mandatory restrictions on the sale of gasoline and diesel, and in other regions there are bottlenecks or private sales restrictions.
Proximity to Putin’s daughter’s project
The location is particularly explosive due to its proximity to structures in Putin’s environment. Since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Moscow has apparently significantly increased its protection of locations associated with Putin and his family.
RFE/RL reports that more than 25 air defense positions have been built around Putin’s residence near Valdai since 2022, including a facility with S-400 systems. The new position in Moscow fits into this pattern of special security precautions for institutions connected to Putin or his entourage. This information cannot be independently verified.
The Innopraktika Foundation has been associated with the Russian defense industry in the past. Independent Russian media reported in 2023 that the foundation had acquired ten percent of the drone manufacturer Geoscan. Its unmanned systems are also said to have been used by Russian armed forces in the war against Ukraine. Tikhonowa has headed Innopraktika since 2015 and also took over the management of a newly founded Institute for Artificial Intelligence at Moscow State University in 2020.
The report comes against the background of new Russian information about Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said at least 50 Ukrainian drones aimed at the capital were intercepted on Friday night. This information could not initially be independently verified.
Sources used:
(hkl)