Russia Upgrades Five Nuclear Bases Close to Europe

In recent years, Russia has upgraded at least five nuclear bases near Europe, including locations in Kaliningrad, Belarus, and the Far North.

This information comes from the Swedish news outlet SVT, which cites satellite imagery as its source.

New satellite images from Planet Labs, now released by SVT, reveal that over the past few years, at least five Russian nuclear weapons bases near Sweden have undergone significant development and modernization.

“We have been aware of this for quite some time and have been closely monitoring the situation. It involves both Russia’s investments in nuclear capabilities and the advancement of a new military doctrine,” stated Sweden’s Defence Minister, Pål Jonson.

Specifically, at the Osipovichi base in Belarus, a Soviet-era nuclear weapons storage facility is being modernized, located behind three rows of fencing. A new loading platform for rail transport has been built, and additional air defense systems have been installed.

In Kaliningrad, the nuclear weapons base modernization included the construction of new buildings, triple fencing, and newly installed communication systems. According to the Polish government, around 100 tactical nuclear weapons are stored in Kaliningrad.

On Novaya Zemlya, large new buildings have been constructed. Experts describe this base as Russia’s most important facility for nuclear weapons testing and experimentation.

At two bases on the Kola Peninsula, approximately 50 new bunkers have been built for the storage of submarine-launched ballistic missiles, as well as a pier for loading missiles on submarines.

Experts consider Russia’s nuclear weapons to be the country’s most important trump card. The political leadership enjoys showcasing this arsenal and regularly uses it to intimidate the rest of the world in an attempt to achieve its goals on the international stage.

William Alberque, a senior fellow at the Pacific Forum who previously worked on NATO’s nuclear weapons policy, says that Russia is trying to turn the West’s fear into a weapon it can wield.

“Russia knows that these threats cause panic in the West, which is why it has been experimenting with escalating nuclear threats for 25 years and uses them whenever it wants to gain an advantage,” he explains.

At the end of May, journalists discovered that plans for Russia’s secret nuclear facilities had become publicly accessible as they had been published in tender documents.

Journalists analyzed over two million tender documents and found among them many plans of the Strategic Rocket Forces bases in the city of Yasny, the Orenburg region. The documents revealed the internal layout of the facilities in great detail, including the locations of underground tunnels.