In Moscow, armed personnel have been observed on the towers of the Kremlin and atop Lenin’s Mausoleum, as part of intensified aerial defense preparations. Reports indicate that armored vehicles belonging to mobile fire groups, equipped with anti-aircraft machine guns, have been stationed near the Kremlin.
This military presence has been frequently witnessed in central Moscow during significant drone attacks from Ukraine, as well as in the lead-up to the May 9 parade.
On October 23, a large-scale drone attack occurred in the Moscow region, disrupting operations at all airports. In response to this threat, an evacuation was ordered for three ministries and various government offices in the Moscow-City complex, according to The Moscow Times. State media outlet TASS claimed that the evacuation was due to a “false alarm.”
Context
- According to Radio Free Europe, over 100 air defense systems were deployed around Moscow by spring 2026.
- Additional air defense positions were established in and around Moscow to counteract the more than 100 drone attacks this year on Russian oil refineries, as well as strikes on warehouse marketplaces, data centers, and defense enterprises, as reported by The Moscow Times. Notably, the Pantsir missile system has been installed on the roofs of several residential and office buildings.
