Satellite images reveal Russia’s construction of five secret nuclear facilities – Business Insider
15 July 2025 14:54
New satellite images taken by the American company Planet Labs in May and June 2025 revealed large-scale construction at at least five secret sites related to Russia’s nuclear forces. The images were analyzed by leading nuclear weapons experts, Business Insider reports, "Komersant Ukrainian".
What the satellites showed
The images show new buildings, road works and infrastructure modernization. The facilities are surrounded by multi-level fences, guarded by posts and have signs of high security. Experts attribute these actions to Moscow’s preparations to revise its nuclear strategy amid the war against Ukraine and the general increase in tensions in Europe.
Where exactly is the construction going on?
Activity was recorded at five key locations:
1. Osipovichi (Belarus)
Construction of a heavily guarded facility has been spotted near Belarus’ 1405th ammunition base. The facility has three levels of fencing, a covered unloading ramp, a suspected warhead bunker, and a large control antenna. A road to the railroad has also been laid – analysts assume that nuclear warheads will be delivered here by train.
2. “Gadzhievo (Murmansk region)
This is a nuclear submarine base where nuclear weapons have been stored before. By the end of May , at least six new buildings had been erected here, which could be hangars or missile storage facilities. It is likely that the base is used to equip submarines with intercontinental missiles.
3. Kaliningrad
A suspected tactical nuclear weapons storage facility with a multi-layered security system has been spotted in the Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea. Not far away, five kilometers away, there is a base of a special unit where a bunker has been converted and new fortifications built.
4. Kamchatka
One of the facilities is allegedly used to store nuclear warheads. In addition to the main bunker, there are two new buildings located on the flanks and a new construction site. The level of security and maintenance of the territory demonstrates the strategic importance of the facility.
5. Novaya Zemlya
The Arctic archipelago, where a large-scale infrastructure expansion has been underway since August 2023. Planet Labs’ images from June 2025 show the completion of a large building and new developments near the tunnels.
Analysts emphasize that these changes cannot be viewed as ordinary modernization, but rather as a strategic enhancement of Russia’s nuclear capabilities in the face of growing conflict in the international arena.
