New Towers Built Around Moscow For Pantsir Air Defense Systems

Around 24 new towers for the deployment of Pantsir air defense missile and gun systems have been built around Moscow over the past several months.

This was reported by researcher jembob on X.

According to the researcher, the construction forms a new defensive ring with a radius of about 40 kilometers, as well as additional towers near individual strategic sites, including an oil refinery, Vladimir Putin’s residence and Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport.

In addition, three to four new Pantsir-SMD systems have been installed on building rooftops across the city, along with two new sites for S-400 air defense systems.

At least three of the new towers are located directly next to existing earthen ramp-like embankments. These towers are likely intended to replace the current positions.

1/10
Update regarding new SHORAD positions in Russia:
1) Moscow:
Another massive expansion of air defenses is currently underway in Moscow. Over the past two months, ~24 new Pantsir towers have been built.
🟡conf.
🟠not conf.
⚪️unsurehttps://t.co/jbjMqJDU5l pic.twitter.com/GWEsJD9OLi

— jembob 🇺🇦 (@jembobineuse) July 26, 2026

Thanks to a power grid map created by researcher BruckenRuski, it became apparent that the newest towers outside the 50-kilometer ring were built specifically to protect electrical substations.

Earlier reports about the strengthening of Moscow’s air defense ring emerged in March.

Pantsir-SMD systems are also being installed on the rooftops of administrative and residential buildings throughout the city. An acceleration of this effort was reported at the end of May.

Security around Putin’s residence in Valdai has also been reinforced. Around March 13, eight additional towers were installed around the residence to close “gaps” in the air defense network, while two more towers were built at Khotilovo Air Base.

According to the mayor of Moscow, 1,892 Ukrainian drones were detected heading toward the Moscow region between July 11 and 18.

According to Russian claims, most of them were neutralized by air defense units before reaching the region.

At the same time, on July 18, Ukrainian drones successfully struck several targets in the Moscow region.

In particular, following a strike carried out by the 1st Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces, a warehouse facility in Elektrostal, Moscow region, was destroyed by fire.