Why Putin Is Wasting £1billion Of Russia’s Air Defences On Private Palace | Former Military Advisor

New satellite imagery reveals that Russia has deployed an estimated £1 billion integrated air defence network around Vladimir Putin’s luxurious Valdai retreat.

Over 50 air defence positions now guard a rural district of fewer than 100,000 residents—roughly half the entire defensive coverage allocated to Moscow’s population of 20 million.

In this interview, Dominic Kearns speaks with Major General Chip Chapman, former Senior British Military Advisor to US Central Command, to analyse what this lavish security ring reveals about Kremlin paranoia, strategic resource allocation, and vulnerabilities in Russia’s national defences.

General Chapman explains how layered S-400, Tor, and Pantsir systems create a localised dome, why tying down elite missile batteries leaves key refineries and infrastructure open to Ukrainian drone strikes, and what Putin’s private fears of internal revolt mean for the trajectory of the war.