Voronezh radar Voronezh radars ( ) are the current generation of Russian early warning radar , providing long distance monitoring of airspace against ballistic missile attack . The first radar , in Lekhtusi near St Petersburg , became operational in 2009 . There is a plan to replace older radars with the Voronezh by 2020 . Their common name follows the pattern of Soviet radars in being named after a river , the Voronezh . The previous generation of radar was known as the Daryal ( after Darial Gorge ) , Volga ( after Volga River ) and Daugava ( Daugava River ) and the generation before the Dnepr ( Dnieper River ) , and Dnestr ( Dniester River ) . The Voronezh radars are described as highly prefabricated meaning that they have a set up time of months rather than years and need fewer personnel than previous generations . They are also modular so that a radar can be brought into ( partial ) operation whilst being incomplete . Russia has used the launch of these new radars to raise its concerns about US missile defence in Europe . At the launch of the Kaliningrad radar in November 2011 Russian President Dmitry Medvedev was quoted as saying " " I expect that this step " [ the launch of the radar ] " will be seen by our partners as the first signal of our country ' s readiness to make an adequate response to the threats which the missile shield poses for our strategic nuclear forces " . " Types . A Voronezh - M is claimed to cost 2 . 85 billion rubles and a DM 4 . 3 billion rubles . This compares to the 5 billion ruble cost of a Dnepr and 19 . 8 billion rubles for a Daryal , at current prices . They are manufactured at the Saransk Television Plant . Their designers - Sergey Boev ( RTI ) , Sergey Saprykin ( NIIDAR ) and Valeriy Karasev ( RTI Mints ) were jointly awarded the 2011 State Prize for Science and Technology for their work on the Voronezh . Installations . The first radar , a Voronezh - M , was built in Lekhtusi near St Petersburg . It entered testing in 2005 and was declared " combat ready " in 2012 . It is adjacent to the A . Mozhaysky Military Space Academy , which is an officer training centre for the Aerospace Defence Forces . It is described as filling the early warning gap caused by the closure of the radar station at Skrunda in Latvia in 1998 . , although the Volga radar in Belarus has also been described as doing this , and as a UHF radar the Volga has a different resolution from the VHF Voronezh - M . The second radar is at Armivir in southern Russia on the site of Baronovsky Airfield . It is a Voronezh - DM , a UHF radar and was announced as replacing the coverage lost when the Dnepr radar s in Ukraine were closed in 2009 . There are actually two radars at this site , the first one covers the south west and could replace the Ukrainian radars . The second one facing south east and could replace the Daryal radar in Gabala if that closes at the end of 2012 . The third radar is to the south of Pionersky in Kaliningrad , on the site of Dunayevka airfield . It is another UHF Voronezh - DM and is surrounded by countries that are now in NATO . There is only one radar here and it will be fully operational in 2014 . A radar is being built at Mishelevka in Irkutsk on the site of the former , and never operational , Daryal radar which was demolished in 2011 . The radar is a Voronezh - VP and is sited close to the former Daryal transmitter building . This radar covers the south and can replace one of the two Dnepr radars at that site . Another Voronezh - VP array is planned which would give 240 degrees coverage and this may be ready by 2014 . It is planned to build a Voronezh - VP radar at Pechora in 2015 to replace the Daryal there . Similarly a Voronezh - VP is planned for Olenegorsk in 2017 to replace the Dnepr / Daugava . As part of the public negotiations over the future of Gabala Radar Station it had been suggested that the Daryal there could be replaced by a Voronezh - VP in 2017 , although the station closed at the end of 2012 instead . Work started on the station at Barnaul in 2013 , other locations announced are Omsk , Yeniseysk and Orenburg .