Satellite images indicate expansion at five Russian nuclear sites near Europe

One significant development is at a suspected nuclear weapons storage site in Kaliningrad, a militarized Russian exclave situated between Poland and Lithuania.

According to images taken in May 2025, the site has undergone substantial reconstruction, including the addition of triple-layered fencing, new buildings, and advanced communications equipment. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski previously stated that up to 100 tactical nuclear warheads might be stored at this location.

Kaliningrad is considered a key concern for NATO due to its advanced missile systems and expanding nuclear infrastructure.

Further expansion is noted at the Osipovichi base in Belarus, a former Soviet nuclear storage facility. Satellite imagery indicates that this base is undergoing renovation, with new air defense installations and a modernized loading platform for rail-based logistics being visible.

In the remote Arctic archipelago of Novaya Zemlya, which has historical links to Soviet-era nuclear testing, several new buildings have appeared. This development is seen as reinforcing the archipelago's role as a potential site for future test activities.

On the Kola Peninsula, situated near Russia's borders with Finland and Norway, the imagery shows the construction of approximately 50 storage bunkers designed for submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Additionally, a specialized pier for loading these missiles onto submarines has been built in the area.

Responding to these findings, Swedish Defense Minister Pal Jonson stated that Stockholm is "closely monitoring" Russian nuclear capabilities. Sweden officially joined NATO in March 2024, citing escalating Russian threats as a primary motivation for abandoning its long-standing non-alignment policy.

The comes amidst Russia's continued use of nuclear threats, which the Kremlin has employed to pressure Ukraine and Western countries since the commencement of its full-scale invasion in February 2022.