These new security features and other improvements at a munitions depot in central Belarus reveal that Russia is building facilities there that could house nuclear warheads. If Russia moves weapons there, it would be the first time it has stored them outside the country since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Russia already has nuclear warheads on its own soil that are close to Ukraine and NATO countries, but by basing some in Belarus, the Kremlin appears to be trying to accentuate its nuclear threat and reinforce its nuclear deterrent.
Russian President Vladimir V. Putin referenced such a site early last year, saying Russia would soon complete construction of a “special storage for tactical nuclear weapons” in Belarus.
The New York Times analyzed satellite images and photographs and spoke with nuclear weapons and arms control experts to track the new construction, which began in March 2023.
The site is 120 miles north of the Ukrainian border, at a military depot next to the town of Asipovichy. Some of the recently constructed structures have features that are unique to nuclear storage facilities at bases within Russia. For example, a new high security zone is surrounded by three layers of fencing, in addition to the existing security perimeter of the entire base. Another telltale sign is a covered cargo area connected to what appears to be a hidden Soviet-era underground bunker.
Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists, who analyzed the site, said nuclear developments in Belarus “seem designed to unnerve NATO’s easternmost member states, but will not give Russia a significant new military advantage in the region”.
There is no agreed definition of a tactical nuclear weapon, unlike longer-range strategic weapons. But Russia defines tactical weapons as those with a range of up to 300 kilometers, about 186 miles. Because the nuclear programs are so secret, there may be other places in Belarus where Russia is storing warheads, and the Kremlin may even have moved some to the Asipovichy location, although all indications suggest otherwise. Both the Russian and Belarusian defense ministries did not respond to requests for comment.
Nuclear warheads are typically stored near military bases capable of launching weapons. The alleged nuclear storage site is located in the same city as Belarus’ Iskander missiles, which can be used to deliver nuclear or conventional warheads. Russia handed over the Iskanders to Belarus in 2022.
Over the past week, both Russia and Belarus have made statements about nuclear weapons exercises. On Monday, the Kremlin said it would hold military exercises with troops based near Ukraine to train for the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons. On Tuesday, the Belarusian defense minister told state media that he had begun an inspection of Iskander forces and other nuclear weapons delivery systems.
Russia’s comments immediately drew condemnation from the United States and NATO for “irresponsible rhetoric.”
“We are reviving the practices of the Cold War and therefore we are reviving the risks of the Cold War,” said Jeffrey Lewis, an arms control expert at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California.
In 2023, when new fences were erected to create a higher security area at the Asipovichy base, a covered area was renovated, including a truck loading dock that now has a new roof, protecting any activity from surveillance from above. These renovations are consistent with structures seen at other former Soviet nuclear storage sites. Seen below, a similar pier in Hungary contains an internal entrance to an ancient tree-covered underground bunker.
William Moon, an independent consultant and former official at the Pentagon’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency, told The Times that the design of the Asipovichy improvements, with triple fences, a main entrance and an emergency exit, resembles those Russian nuclear warhead storage sites you have seen. in person. Moon, who worked with Russia on nuclear warhead security, said: “When we worked to their standards, they would require that third layer of fencing.”
He said that in addition to increased security, he would also expect separate accommodation for the Russian military unit that remains in control of the nuclear warheads. Three new buildings have been constructed in the entrance area of the depot, which appear to be for administrative use or barracks, and an additional area is currently being demolished.
At the entrance to the triple fence area, a security checkpoint, a covered inspection area next to a guardhouse, were added in 2023. These types of structures have become fixtures over the past two decades at nuclear facilities within Russia, according to Michael Duitsman. , a colleague of Mr. Lewis at the Middlebury Institute. They are a “Unique feature not seen in other Russian bases.,” he said.
In recent weeks, construction began on what could be new buildings. “The details are still uncertain, but construction has clearly entered a new phase,” Kristensen said.
An air defense system has also been installed to protect the site. It was initially seen camouflaged in mid-2023, including through radar satellite images provided by space company Umbra. Since September, one of the air defense vehicles has been deployed in a field about a mile from the bunker.
Asipovichy is part of nuclear history. The same site Russia is building today was likely used to store nuclear weapons during the Cold War. The Soviet Union began establishing nuclear missile brigades in and around the city in the 1960s, according to William Alberque, who has been director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) think tank and a Pentagon and NATO official. . He also stationed a military unit that handled nuclear weapons at an artillery munitions storage site, he said. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, all nuclear weapons were removed from Belarus.
Declassified US intelligence satellite photographs of the Asipovichy site taken during the Cold War appear to show both of these functions. The southern section was thought to be for conventional weapons, with clearings and many storage buildings. In a separate, tree-covered northern section, four bunkers are visible, with a walled enclosure further north, the exact location where the current construction can be seen.
While the 1970 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty prohibits the transfer of nuclear weapons to non-nuclear states, it does not prohibit hosting nuclear weapons abroad if control is maintained by the country that possesses them. Under the NATO nuclear sharing agreement, the United States currently has nuclear weapons in some member countries.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson did not say whether the United States was monitoring any particular sites in Belarus, but said the department is closely monitoring the situation to “ensure that Russia maintains control of its weapons in the event of any deployment.” in Russia”. Belarus and fulfills its obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.” A State Department report from April 2024 said the United States would not change its nuclear posture in response to events in Belarus.
Julian E. Barnes contributed with reports. Phil Robibero, Blacki Migliozzi, David Botti and Alejandro Cardía Contributed to visual production.