Construction on a storage facility for Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus probably began in March 2023 near the city of Asipovichy, which has served as a military base since Soviet times.
Source: The New York Times, which analysed satellite images of the object, as reported by European Pravda
Details: According to the New York Times, the Russian nuclear weapons storage facility is located roughly 180 kilometres north of the Ukrainian border.
The New York Times reports that the new infrastructure, identified on satellite photographs near Asipovichy, has features unique to Russian nuclear storage facilities.
For example, a new high-security zone is ringed by three levels of fence in addition to the base’s current security perimeter. The New York Times also discovered a covered loading area connected to a concealed underground bunker from Soviet times.
To protect the site near Asipovichy, as the images show, an air defence system was also deployed – it appeared no later than mid-2023.
Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists, who analysed the site, stated that the nuclear developments in Belarus “appear designed to unnerve NATO’s easternmost member states, but will not give Russia a significant new military advantage in the region”.
Construction on what appears to be new buildings has begun in recent weeks. “The details are still uncertain, but construction has clearly entered a new phase,” said Kristensen.
According to an agreement between Minsk and Moscow, some of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons are deployed on Belarusian soil.
Belarus approved a new military doctrine last month, allowing nuclear weapons to be used for the first time.
On 7 May, the Belarusian Ministry of Defence declared a “sudden check” of non-strategic nuclear weapons, following a similar announcement by Russia.
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