Swedish broadcaster obtains images showing expansion of Russian nuclear base in Kaliningrad

Swedish broadcaster SVT has obtained satellite images showing changes at five Russian nuclear facilities close to Europe in recent years.

As reported by SVT, journalists received images from Planet Labs for May 2025, which show that the Russian base in Kaliningrad, where nuclear weapons may be stored, has been expanded and modernised in recent years.

New buildings, a triple fence and new communications equipment have appeared on the territory. Poland has previously estimated that around a hundred tactical nuclear warheads may be stored there.

At the Osipovichi base in Belarus, the Soviet nuclear weapons storage facility is also being renovated, with a new loading platform for rail transport and air defence systems appearing there.

Many new buildings have been spotted at the Novaya Zemlya base, which experts consider to be a key site for Russian nuclear tests.

On the Kola Peninsula, which borders Finland and Norway, about 50 storage bunkers have been built for submarine-launched ballistic missiles. A special pier for loading missiles onto submarines has also appeared.

Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson commented on this, noting that Stockholm is closely monitoring Russia's capabilities in this area.

"We are aware of this and have been monitoring it for a long time. This concerns both Russian investments in nuclear capabilities and the implementation of a new doctrine," he said.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) stated in its annual report that the arms race between nuclear powers has resumed.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte believes that Russia may attack NATO in five years.