AFU Officer: For Putin, His Own Skin Is More Important Than The Front
1- 17.04.2026, 9:08
- 4,630
The current Ukrainian strikes are just the beginning.
Around Putin's residence in Valdai the air defense systems have been sharply strengthened: in March alone, seven more towers with Pantsir systems were built there, bringing their total number to 27.
Why is Russia now so hastily strengthening air defense systems around Putin's residence, when the Russian army has a colossal deficit of these systems and even Z-bloggers openly write about it?
The site Charter97.org talked to military expert, reserve major of the National Guard of Ukraine Alexei Getman:
- For Putin, his own safety is much more important than the safety of Russian soldiers. I don't think this strengthening of air defense systems at Valdai is related to the fact that the head of the Kremlin plans to be there. We know that Putin has a dozen residences where he stays from time to time.
This is a pretty cheap feint. Putin even complained to Trump that his Valdai residence was attacked. Although the Russian ruler as the supreme commander of the aggressor army is a legitimate target for the AFU. We forget something about it, any soldier of the aggressor army is a legitimate target, including the supreme commander. This is spelled out in the charter of the United Nations. So it is unclear what he was complaining about.
But since they are strengthening the air defense system there, as if to show that he is going to defend himself, it may mean that that is where he will not be. A dictator has at least 10 residences in different places. I understand that Valdai is between St. Petersburg and Moscow, that is a convenient place, closer, but then what is the problem? Why does he start to cover one of the residences so actively, as if to show that he will be there and that the air defense system will fully protect him?
Then the question arises: can't it be done at the second residence? On the third? On the fourth, fifth, sixth? This is kindergarten. The feeling is that he considers himself very cunning, a master of multi-purpose schemes, and everyone else here is a fool.
- Ukrainian drones in recent months have noticeably increased the success rate of strikes and expanded their geography. What is the success of the new tactics of the AFU?
- There is nothing new here, no new tactics. The AFU is launching one and a half times more drones at Russia than Russia on average. Russia has somewhere between 120-150 drones, I think, per day on average. Ukraine has over 200. When objects are attacked by a large number of our drones, it brings results. The drones themselves are ordinary, they are made of plastic and plywood. There are no super technologies there.
The Ukrainian drone is as simple and reliable as a rake. And Russia's problem is not that the AFU has some clever technology, but that they have slanted combat teams that are supposed to ensure interception of targets. The Russians don't use mobile groups, they don't approach it comprehensively, as the AFU does.
The Russians believe that there is some "Pantsir" there, that it will solve all the issues. It won't. We shoot down more than 90% of the Shaheds because we use different methods: air interceptors, anti-drones, fire mobile groups, electronic warfare systems, and so on. We take a comprehensive and responsible approach. In Russia, they do everything in a slapdash manner. That's why they will continue to come. This is still flowers. I am talking about the later stage, when we have already launched all our land-based and airborne cruise and ballistic missiles, it will be even worse. Much worse. And we don't have long to wait for that.
- What targets will be prioritized by the AFU next? Are strikes on Moscow as a decision-making center possible in the future?
- A strike on Moscow is more of a political and emotional component. There are no such important military facilities there, except for the decision-making center. I don't know whether there will be strikes on Moscow or not. This is decided by our Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters.
A priority target is everything related to the military industry of the Russian Federation, and everything related to the processing and sale of oil. Because with this money Russia produces weapons.
Strikes on chemical plants, strikes on electronics plants, strikes on deployment sites, on missile launch sites. Anything that's prioritized. Attacks on airfields, sabotage strikes, Operation Web 2, and so on. Strikes on seaports, strikes on ships that come out of their harbors, where they hide. And even hitting harbors where they can be destroyed. The only thing we will not hit is we will not hit residential neighborhoods like Russia does.
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