Moscow under drone siege? Russia deploys "Pantsir" systems on rooftops

In recent months, Ukraine has intensified long-range drone attacks against military, industrial, and energy targets inside Russia, with drones repeatedly reaching Moscow and other regions hundreds of kilometers from the border.A video published yesterday shows a Russian heavy transport Mil Mi-26 placing a Pantsir-SMD-E system on the roof of the Nordstar Tower business center in northern Moscow.The Pantsir-SMD-E is a newer version of Russia&rsquo;s short-range Pantsir air defense system, specifically designed to counter drones and smaller aerial targets. Unlike the older Pantsir-S1 variant, this version does not include 30 mm automatic cannons, according to the portal Militarnyi.🚁Mil Mi-26T.. heavy transport helicopter.Pantsir-SMD&quot; ADMS?🎥&quot;chegara.siz&quot; pic.twitter.com/WEAwTKQLsg&mdash; Massimo Frantarelli (@MrFrantarelli) May 27, 2026The system is armed with two types of missiles: standard 95Ya6 missiles with an interception range of up to 20 kilometers, and smaller TKB-1055 missiles intended for targeting small drones at distances of up to seven kilometers.According to Militarnyi, the radar package includes an active phased-array surveillance radar with a detection range of up to 24 kilometers, as well as a millimeter-wave targeting radar.Increasingly dense defenses around the capitalRussia first began deploying Pantsir systems on rooftops in Moscow back in 2023, after Ukrainian drones managed to reach the capital. One of the systems was even installed on top of the headquarters of the Russian Ministry of Defense.During the war, Moscow has built an increasingly dense air-defense network around the city, reinforced with mobile fire groups and systems transferred from other regions.In 2025 alone, Russia deployed more than 40 additional Pantsir-S1 systems around Moscow. According to estimates cited by Militarnyi, the total number of air-defense systems added around the capital since 2023 has now risen to more than 100.

Moscow under drone siege? Russia deploys "Pantsir" systems on rooftops

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