Putin's Valdai cottage has almost as many air defense systems as Moscow (photos)
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Over the past year and a half, the number of air defense systems around Russian leader Vladimir Putin's cottage in Valdai, Novgorod region, has increased from two to twelve, the Telegram channel of Radio Liberty reports.
Number of air defenses increases sixfold
The first Pantsir-S1 surface-to-air missile system near Putin's residence was spotted by local residents in January 2023. A year and a half later, in July 2024, Radio Liberty journalists noticed the second such system.
Currently, there are already 12 air defense systems surrounding the residence, just five fewer than in Moscow and the Moscow region.
OSINT analysts joke that these fortifications resemble Flaktürme - Nazi anti-aircraft towers from World War II.
Kabaeva's house and secret railway branch
In Valdai, near Putin's cottage, there is also the house of Olympic champion Alina Kabaeva, who is presumed to be the Russian President's lover and the mother of his three children. The 1,200-square-meter house began construction in 2020 and was completed two years later.
Kabaeva and the children, as well as Putin himself during visits, use a separate guarded railway branch and station built in 2019. The station has a helipad from which Putin flies to the residence.
