Russia-Ukraine War: Pantsir Missile Defense System Installed on Moscow Skyscrapers

The war between Ukraine and Russia does not seem to be ending in the near future. There are daily updates regarding either new positions or new weapons in these two countries. Now, it appears that the Russian military has installed Pantsir air defence systems on top of some Moscow-based administrative buildings, including the Ministry of Defense headquarters, indicating that the Kremlin is preparing for a potential, if unlikely, attack that is directed at the Russian capital.

Pantsir air defence systems are short- to medium-range systems used to defend against cruise missiles, helicopters, and aircraft.

Several social media accounts have been sharing images and videos related to these missile systems.

A Guardian report stated that a Pantsir missile system had been installed on the roof of an eight-story building used by the Russian defence ministry along the Moskva River.

"Another video showed the air defence system being lifted onto the roof of an education building in Moscow's Taganka district, 1.5 miles south-east of the Kremlin," reported the news outlet.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday urged Western allies to deliver tanks to Ukraine at a key defence conference in Germany, although the Kremlin denied the weapons would change anything on the battlefield.

Addressing the US-hosted donor meeting at the Ramstein Air Base, Zelensky implored Western allies to "speed up" arms deliveries in the face of the Russian onslaught.

Partners needed "not to bargain about different numbers of tanks but to open that principal supply that will stop evil," the Ukrainian leader said.

Make the meeting a "Ramstein of tanks," Zelensky said, calling for future gatherings to "go down in history as a Ramstein of F-16s and long-range missiles."

"It is in your power to guarantee such artillery," he said via video-link.

The meeting's host, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, urged Western allies to "dig even deeper" to support Ukraine with military aid at a crucial time, noting that Russia is "running out of ammunition and suffering significant battle losses."

"This is a decisive moment for Ukraine. The Ukrainian people are watching us, the Kremlin is watching us, and history is watching us," he told the talks, gathering representatives from 50 countries to discuss boosting aid to Kyiv.

The Kremlin responded by accusing the West of harbouring a "dramatic delusion" that Ukraine can win on the battlefield, adding that the conflict was "developing in an upward spiral."

(With inputs from AFP)