Putin expands nuclear bases on Europe’s doorstep

According to satellite images from the American company Planet Labs, Moscow has significantly modernised and expanded its nuclear facilities close to Europe’s borders. 

At least five installations have been transformed in recent years, reported the Swedish television channel SVT on Monday 16 June. One of the most notable developments happened in Kaliningrad, an enclave situated between Lithuania, Poland and the Baltic Sea. It is at this nuclear weapons storage site that a major reconstruction is reported to have taken place. 

Also according to the satellite images, taken in May 2025, a triple-layered fence has been added to the site along with advanced communication equipment and new buildings. The Polish Foreign Minister, Radosław Sikorsk, indicated that up to 100 tactical nuclear warheads could be stored at the site, reports the media outlet L’Indépendant. 

50 additional bunkers

According to the photos, the base in Assipovichi, Belarus, is also undergoing renovation. New air defence equipment as well as a more modern railway logistics loading platform will complete the site. Close to the Scandinavian borders, Moscow has also had nearly 50 bunkers built to store submarine-launched ballistic missiles. 

(MH with Manon Pierre - Source: L’Indépendant - Illustration: ©Unsplash)