Moscow builds missile defense near Putin's daughter's foundation

2026-06-28 13:11:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Moscow is building a new missile defense complex near a research institute linked to the daughter of Russian President Vladimir Putin, continuing efforts to strengthen the capital's defenses against possible missile attacks from Ukraine.

The Russian service of Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL) has revealed that a concrete platform has been erected and S-400 air defense systems have been installed on the land of the headquarters of the Innopraktika Foundation, a $1.7 billion project supported by the government and headed by Putin's youngest daughter, Katerina Tikhonova.

Located on a high ground in the city center, less than 10 kilometers from the Kremlin and about 300 meters from a Moscow State University building, this new complex is at least the fifth facility of its kind in a new defensive ring within the Russian capital.

According to satellite images of the construction site, its shape and dimensions fully match other similar military installations in Moscow, identified earlier this month by REL.

The Russian military has already built similar defensive infrastructure in Moscow using Pantsir-S1 missile systems, which serve to protect against drone attacks from Ukraine.

However, the new S-400 complexes, designed to intercept and shoot down missiles, appear to be aimed at combating Ukrainian ballistic missiles.

On June 24, one of Ukraine's largest defense equipment manufacturers, Fire Point, announced that it had developed two ballistic missiles, the first fully produced in independent Ukraine.

In recent months, the Ukrainian military has significantly increased long-range drone attacks inside Russia, causing the worst fuel shortage in all of Russia in recent years.

At least 17 regions have imposed mandatory restrictions on the sale of gasoline and diesel, while dozens of other regions have reported shortages or restrictions imposed by private fuel companies.

Russia faces severe gasoline shortages
Russian authorities and fuel companies have imposed various restrictions on gasoline sales, as shortages spread across the country. Similar restrictions have also been reported in parts of Ukraine occupied by Russia.

Although these developments have increased the discontent of Russian citizens more than four years after the start of the war, the Kremlin has shown no sign of softening its tough stance on ending the conflict.

In response, on June 25, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared that he had approved a 40-day military operation by the country's security service to "influence the aggressor state with the aim of forcing it to end the war."

Meanwhile, the construction of the new air defense complex at Innopraktika is another indication of the special attention being paid to facilities associated with Putin and his family.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more than 25 air defense positions – including an S-400 complex – have been built in Valdai, a lakeside town surrounded by forests that Putin favored as a residence after the start of the war.

The Russian president's alleged partner, Alina Kabaeva, is reported to have frequently visited this complex along with children who are alleged to be hers and Putin's. /REL