A 'Pantsir' air defence system has been installed on a Moscow skyscraper
In Moscow, a ‘Pantsir-SMD-E’ air defence system has been installed on the roof of the Nordstar Tower business centre, located on Begovaya Street in the Northern Administrative District.
The video shows a helicopter delivering the combat module to the roof of the 42-storey skyscraper.
This system is primarily designed to combat drones. The combat module can carry up to 48 small-calibre TKB-1055 ‘Gvozd’ anti-aircraft guided missiles with a range of up to 7 kilometres. The system is also capable of using standard 95Ya6 missiles, which can engage targets at a range of up to 20 kilometres. The stated detection range is 24 kilometres.
Nordstar Tower is one of the tallest buildings in Moscow. The business centre was built in 2009, and the total floor area is 147,500 square metres.
It is known that Rosneft leased 37,700 square metres in Nordstar Tower, which accounted for almost half of the complex’s total leasable area. The relevant lease was signed in May 2010 for a term of 15 years. In 2015, a dispute arose between the landlord and the company regarding the rent.
Subsequently, the building was transferred to Riverstretch, a company owned by Pavel Vashchenko and Valery Mikhailov. The beneficiary of this entity was said to be Biznestrust LLC, established by entities belonging to the Region group of companies.
The Region Group is linked to Rosneft. The group’s entities cooperate with the company in the areas of pension schemes, bond placements and the management of closed-end mutual funds, which include shares in VBRR. As of 2022, this bank was under the control of Rosneft.
Region also acquired the Rossium Group, whose key asset is the Moscow Credit Bank. This financial institution has been cooperating with Rosneft for a long time. In 2021, the bank organised a syndicate to acquire a 10% stake in the Vostok Oil project from the company, and also underwrote its bond issue.
It was previously reported that the Russian military is establishing a layered air defence system around Moscow amid growing threats from Ukraine. According to satellite imagery, 43 additional towers equipped with Pantsir systems were installed near the city in 2025. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s calculations, more than 100 air defence systems have been deployed around the Russian capital since 2023.
