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Satellite photos show how Russia is building up 5 of its secret nuclear bases

Satellite photos show how Russia is building up 5 of its secret nuclear bases

A comparison between the satellite photos from April 2021 and May 2025 also shows the construction of a major roadway leading to a large platform.
This is likely to introduce a railhead into the base from the main Belarusian train lines northwest of the base, with the platform built as a facility to offload nuclear warheads from the train.
"That's an absolute must for the Russian nuclear infrastructure," Kristensen said. "If they need to transport nuclear warheads in here, they would most likely not be flown in, but put in by rail."
The most likely type of warhead that Russia would store here is one that can be dropped via a gravity bomb from Belarus' warplanes, he said, and the Kremlin usually transports such nuclear weapons by rail. Putin said in 2023 that Russia was planning to give Belarus tactical warheads that could be deployed from Minsk's Su-25 attack jets.
Still, analysts think that while the base is built up to store those nukes, it's unlikely there are warheads there now.
"It's more likely that the weapons that are assigned to the site are stored in a national-level site," said Pavel Podvig, a senior researcher for the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. He believes the warheads are likely in Bryansk, about 200 miles away in Russia.
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Trump wants to play global peacemaker. Derailed Gaza cease-fire shows how daunting that ambition is.
Trump wants to play global peacemaker. Derailed Gaza cease-fire shows how daunting that ambition is.

Boston Globe

time19 minutes ago

  • Boston Globe

Trump wants to play global peacemaker. Derailed Gaza cease-fire shows how daunting that ambition is.

Trump has said he's seeking the deals to stop destruction and loss of life. But he has also been open about his ambition to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize, prompting some of those seeking to cultivate favor with Trump to nominate him for the prestigious recognition. Here's a look at where some of Trump's efforts to strike peace and security deals stand. Advertisement Gaza Status : No major breakthroughs in recent talks. The backstory : Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday that the U.S. was bringing home its negotiating team from Qatar, where talks were ongoing, to assess its next steps. Witkoff said the move was made because Hamas was not showing 'good faith' toward reaching a cease-fire, but U.S. officials did not offer specifics. No major breakthroughs have occurred despite weeks of talks in Qatar, along with a visit early this month to the White House by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 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Report card on Trump's first six months shows a lot of wins, a little room for growth
Report card on Trump's first six months shows a lot of wins, a little room for growth

Los Angeles Times

time2 hours ago

  • Los Angeles Times

Report card on Trump's first six months shows a lot of wins, a little room for growth

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Zelenskyy plans to ask Europe for help to pay Ukraine's soldiers
Zelenskyy plans to ask Europe for help to pay Ukraine's soldiers

Miami Herald

time2 hours ago

  • Miami Herald

Zelenskyy plans to ask Europe for help to pay Ukraine's soldiers

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