Recent satellite images taken by Planet Labs in May and June 2025 reveal large-scale construction at five secret nuclear sites linked to Russia.
Satellite Images Reveal Massive Construction at Russian Nuclear Sites
These satellite images, reviewed by leading analysts, show newly built structures, expanded fences, guarded checkpoints, and major roadways. Experts say these upgrades indicate that Russia is rapidly modernizing its nuclear storage and launch infrastructure.
This development comes during a time of rising tension in Europe caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Analysts suggest this construction is not just routine maintenance. Instead, it seems to be part of Moscow’s effort to boost its nuclear capabilities while its regular armed forces face strain.
Hans Kristensen, Director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, explained that the activity could be both a regular facility upgrade and a strategic message to other global powers.
Satellite Images Show Upgrades in Asipovichy Gadzhiyevo and Kaliningrad
One of the five key sites is located in Asipovichy, Belarus, a strong Russian ally. Satellite images reveal that Russia is upgrading the 1,405th Ammunition Base, located five miles east of the city. Russia built a new secure facility in the northern part of the base and surrounded it with triple fencing—strongly suggesting that it intends the site for storing tactical nuclear warheads.
The base also includes a covered truck inspection point and an off-loading ramp hidden among trees—both typical features of a nuclear storage site. A newly constructed road and platform are also visible. Analysts believe this road may lead to a rail line used to transport nuclear warheads, since Russia prefers using trains for moving its nuclear arms.
In the city of Asipovichy, satellite images from September 2023 also revealed military vehicles known as Iskander missile launchers. These mobile units can carry nuclear warheads, increasing the strategic importance of the site.
At the Gadzhiyevo naval base in Murmansk, Russia, experts observed the addition of at least six new buildings between September 2022 and May 2025. These structures stand near mountain entrances that experts believe house nuclear warheads. Earlier satellite images even captured cranes moving warheads into special climate-controlled containers.
Gadzhiyevo is home to Russia’s ballistic missile submarines, which carry intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of long-range nuclear strikes. Experts believe the new buildings may serve as storage or preparation areas for these missiles.
In Kaliningrad, a Russian territory located between Poland and Lithuania, satellite photos show a fortified nuclear storage site. Analysts say Russia uses this site for tactical nuclear weapons and links it to a nearby Soviet-era nuclear deployment unit. Between 2020 and 2022, Russian forces unearthed one of the facility’s bunkers and later buried it again—an unusual move. They also added new fencing and a gray building, likely for command or security.
Kamchatka and Novaya Zemlya Reveal Expanded Nuclear Activity
In Kamchatka, a region across the Bering Sea from Alaska, satellite images from October 2022 and June 2025 reveal that Russia is building secure bunkers and triple-fenced compounds. Experts believe these structures relate to the Poseidon nuclear-armed super torpedo—a weapon still under development.
Russia has now fully covered one northern facility, blocking it from satellite view. A new T-shaped building has also appeared to the south. Experts say these may be warhead storage bays or missile maintenance facilities.
Further north, in Novaya Zemlya, an archipelago where the Soviet Union tested the Tsar Bomba in 1961, construction activity is increasing again. The region is used today for subcritical nuclear tests, which involve no full explosions. New buildings appeared by August 2023, and by June 6, 2025, construction of a large support facility was complete.
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Near the historic test site, new satellite images from June 2025 revealed the construction of a tunnel into a mountain, with four nearby support buildings. Experts believe this tunnel could be used for high-explosive tests related to nuclear weapons. The area already contains around 17 older tunnels used for similar purposes in the Soviet era.
According to Kristensen, these new tunnels and security features are consistent with designs used at other Russian nuclear storage facilities. This shows a standardized approach by Russian military engineers to secure their nuclear infrastructure.
These five locations—Asipovichy, Gadzhiyevo, Kaliningrad, Kamchatka, and Novaya Zemlya—form a pattern of serious investment in nuclear readiness. Thanks to recent satellite images, the world now has a clearer look at how Russia continues to expand and modernize its nuclear capabilities, from warhead storage to missile handling facilities.