Satellite imagery obtained by Swedish broadcaster SVT shows Russia has upgraded at least four nuclear weapons bases in proximity to NATO countries over recent years.

Russia has been threatening the West with nuclear weapons explicitly since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine as a way to deter military support for Ukraine and prevent potential NATO involvement in the war. Since 2022, Russian officials have made nuclear threats more than 200 times across various political levels.

The images, captured by Planet Labs in May 2025 and published by SVT on 16 June, document infrastructure improvements at multiple sites across Russia’s western regions.

The satellite evidence shows four key areas of expansion. In Kaliningrad, positioned 43 km (27 miles) from Swedish territory, the base has received new buildings, triple fencing, and communication infrastructure. The Polish government estimates approximately 100 tactical nuclear weapons are stored at this location.

At the Asipovitchy base in Belarus, Russia upgraded a Soviet-era nuclear storage facility with enhanced security features including three layers of fencing, according to nuclear weapons researchers at the Federation of American Scientists. The site now includes a new loading platform for rail transport and air defense systems.

The Novaya Zemlya facility, which experts describe as Russia’s most important base for nuclear weapons testing and trials, has seen construction of extensive new buildings. Novaya Zemlya is an archipelago located in the Arctic Ocean with closest proximity to Norway or Finland. The base has a history of military use, including being a major Soviet nuclear test site during the Cold War.

On the Kola Peninsula near the Norwegian border, approximately 50 storage bunkers have been built for submarine-launched ballistic missiles, alongside a new dock for missile loading operations.

Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson confirmed his government’s awareness of the developments, stating that officials have monitored the expansion for an extended period.

William Alberque, a senior researcher at Pacific Forum and former NATO nuclear policy specialist, argues that Russia deliberately uses Western concerns about nuclear escalation as a strategic tool.

“Russia knows that these threats cause panic in the Western world and therefore they have experimented with escalating nuclear threats for 25 years,” Alberque told SVT.

The developments occur amid broader concerns about nuclear proliferation. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute noted in its annual report that an arms race between nuclear powers resumed, while NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte earlier suggested Russia could potentially attack NATO within five years.