The Moscow Air Defence District has a long history, dating back to the Second World War.

[citation needed] The presence of such large forces, skillful management organisation foiled enemy attempts to inflict massive air strikes.

[citation needed] In addition, assaults by the 6th Fighter Aviation Corps inflicted heavy blows, destroyed 567 enemy aircraft on the ground.

The district's commander, Marshal of Aviation Anatoly Konstantinov, was replaced shortly before the Mathias Rust affair in 1988 for insufficient support of Mikhail Gorbachev's perestroika policy.

The units, formations and associations that carried out air defence of Moscow, depending on the prevailing situation and the tasks to be solved, had different organizational forms: In August 1950, the Soviet Government decided to create an additional air defence zone around Moscow.

According to the plan, it was supposed to disperse 56 anti-aircraft rocket regiments armed with S-25 air defence systems in two echelons around Moscow, which were supposed to ensure the defeat of air targets at a depth of 100 kilometers and a reach of about 25 kilometers in height.

At the same time, work began on the arrangement and construction of missile positions and military camps for future air defence formations.

In early December 1953, the creation of the 1st Special Purpose Air Defence Army was completed.

The corps were the 2nd, at Balashikha (which included the 28th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment at Krichev, 3rd at Rzhev, 7th at Kursk, and 16th at Gorky.