Bomb shelter maps hastily slapped up in Moscow & defences urgently bolstered as deadly Ukrainian drones wreak havoc

BOMB shelter maps have been issued across Moscow after Putin ordered a vast new string of air defences over fears of Ukrainian missiles. Intelligence analysts have now begun revealing hundreds of emergency refuge sites across the capital’s surrounding districts. A bomb shelter in Russia Credit: East2West Intelligence analysts have now begun revealing hundreds of emergency refuge sites Credit: East2West Putin is aiming to turn the country into a defence fortress as fear sweeps across the nation. Official interactive maps identifying hundreds of emergency shelters have appeared in several districts around the Russian capital. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The extraordinary move comes after residents complained they were left dangerously unprepared during previous Ukrainian strikes. In the Lyubertsy district, officials published a map on July 30 showing hundreds of so-called “underground spaces” in Lyubertsy, Dzerzhinsky, Oktyabrsky and neighbouring communities. But the supposed shelters are far from impregnable bunkers. They include apartment block basements, underground car parks, post offices and other buildings rather than solely purpose-built, blast-resistant shelters. Podolsk district authorities have also published a map listing every active “temporary shelter point”, complete with its floor area and estimated capacity. Residents have been told to take only essential possessions, including identity documents, medicines and a mobile phone with its charger. Most read in The Sun Similar shelter information has also surfaced in the Odintsovo district. The frantic preparations come amid chilling warnings that Ukraine could soon have ballistic missiles capable of reaching Moscow. Denys Shtilerman, an owner of Ukrainian weapons manufacturer Fire Point, has said its new FP-9 ballistic-missile attacks on the Russian capital could begin within weeks once testing is completed. The missile has a formidable 530-mile range. Unlike comparatively slow-moving long-range drones, ballistic missiles plunge down at enormous speed, giving air-defence crews precious little time to detect, track and intercept them. The frantic preparations come amid chilling warnings that Ukraine could soon have ballistic missiles capable of reaching Moscow Credit: East2West The owner of Ukrainian weapons manufacturer Fire Point, has said its new FP-9 ballistic-missile attacks could begin within weeks Credit: East2West The sudden shelter drive also follows fury over the authorities’ failure to warn residents during a huge Ukrainian drone raid in June. Residents of Ramenskoye, Kotelniki and Krasnogorsk complained they received no text messages and heard no air-raid sirens. Many only realised the attack was under way after seeing drones overhead, hearing explosions or witnessing the damage. Now satellite researchers have uncovered a staggering expansion of Moscow’s defensive shield. Around two dozen new towers designed to carry Pantsir short-range air-defence systems have been built in a ring roughly 25 miles from central Moscow. Other positions have been thrown up to shield Putin’s Novo-Ogaryovo official residence, Vnukovo airport and the capital’s oil refinery, which was hit twice in June. Open-source intelligence researcher Jembob said approximately 24 new Pantsir towers had been constructed around Moscow in just two months. His analysis identified some 79 towers within 31 miles of the capital, another eight or nine outside that perimeter and around 30 ramp-based positions. Several Pantsir-SMD systems have also reportedly been stationed on Moscow rooftops. At least two new sites have meanwhile been created for the powerful long-range S-400 system. In total, researchers have identified approximately 120 to 125 short-range air-defence positions in and around Moscow. The defensive surge is a stark sign of Putin’s growing anxiety over Ukraine’s ability to punch through the capital’s supposedly formidable shield. A Pantsir-S1 on the roof of the Ministry of Defense building Credit: East2West The extraordinary defensive surge is a stark sign of Putin’s growing anxiety Credit: Alamy Russians painted a desperate plea to Ukranian drone pilots to spare their warehouses as Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops continue to blitz Russia’s Amazon equivalent. Some of the new towers outside the main ring appear to have been positioned specifically to protect vital electrical substations. Russia has also established an extraordinary belt of air defences around Putin’s secluded Valdai palace, between Moscow and St Petersburg. Ukrainian monitoring channels claim Kyiv’s sustained campaign is forcing Russia to activate air defences around the capital almost daily and across multiple approaches. The relentless attacks are giving Russia a taste of the horror it subjects its “enemy”. Dronebomber+, a Ukrainian monitoring group, plotted approximately 500 reports of air-defence activity or claimed interceptions in the Moscow region during June alone. The frantic reinforcement programme has also spread to some of Russia’s most important energy sites. New towers have been built around refineries at Ryazan, Kstovo and Yaroslavl, as well as near Ust-Luga and Vyborg – crucial hubs for Russia’s oil, gas and export infrastructure. But researchers say the bulk of the sophisticated new towers have appeared around Moscow and northern Russia. Critical targets in the south, meanwhile, are often protected by cheaper earth ramps. The stark disparity suggests Putin is concentrating precious air-defence resources around the capital, his personal residences and strategically vital northern facilities. Comment now