The number of air defense positions around Russia’s Alabuga special economic zone, home to the main factory where Russian drones are assembled, has risen to 33, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported after reviewing a satellite image from Oct. 21.
Since the spring, several towers made of concrete have been built for the placement of air defense systems in the area, along with new platforms designed for Pantsir air defense systems and Tor surface-to-air missile systems.
Alabuga is now one of the most heavily protected sites in Russia. By comparison, Vladimir Putin’s residence in Valdai is surrounded by 31 known towers for air defense systems and two positions for S-300 or S-400 surface-to-air missile systems.
In August, the Institute for Science and International Security reported that a large-scale anti-drone defense complex was under construction at Alabuga in Russia’s Tatarstan. Satellite images from July and August showed large lattice towers under construction around production sites in the special economic zone, which includes facilities that assemble Geran attack drones and the Alabuga-Volokno plant, which makes carbon fiber used in drone production.
The last Ukrainian drone attack on Alabuga that caused documented damage on the ground took place in June 2025.
