Russian president, Vladimir Putin has put up major air defences close to his secret forest palace to ‘protect him and his family’ from long-range Ukrainian attacks.
The air defence includes a ‘personal rocket launcher set up for Putin and his relatives.’ according to Russian news outlet Agentstvo Novosti.
Images from the outlet show a Pantsir-S1 air defence system installed near the presidential hideaway at Valdai in Novgorod region while three soldiers are pictured nearby plus the radar antenna rotates.
‘These air defence systems protect President Vladimir Putin and his family from a possible Ukrainian strike,’ said the report.
‘This conclusion can be drawn after the air defence system appeared near the Valdai presidential residence.
‘There are simply no other sites for protection there, except for the residence.’
The Russian president’s rumoured lover, Alina Kabaeva, 39, reportedly likes their forest home, with Putin’s inner circle saying he ‘loves’ it.
Alina Kabaeva is known to favour the lavish bolthole at Valdai in Novgorod region. He and Kabaeva are believed to have a young family that have never been seen due to secrecy.
Three servicemen are constantly near the system, which has a rotating radar antenna, the report said.
Similar systems have been deployed in the past week six miles away from Putin’s official residence on the outskirts of Moscow and at prime locations in the city’s centre.
The couple are believed to have a young family that are kept secret from the rest of Russia.
Putin’s Valdai palace, includes a ‘personal beauty parlour’ and a ‘fully equipped cosmetologist’s office. It also has a dentist office according to jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s team.
It is not the only place where Putin has deployed major weapons for his protection, as last week a Pantsir-S1 complex was revealed six miles from his official residence near Moscow.
Putin’s lakeside estate seen on drone footage includes a stable, golf course, mini-golf course, VIP restaurant with a cinema, bowling, billiard room and even a mini-casino.
It is dubbed Putin’s ‘most secret official dacha’, or second home.
On Wednesday, photographs also appeared of the modern S-400 missile defence system in two locations, one in fields belonging to the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy in the north-west of the city, another on Losiny island in a national park to the north-east where trees were felled for the installation.
The S-400 ‘Triumf’ system is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range missiles. It can also be used on ground targets.
