Satellite photos show how Russia is building up 5 of its secret nuclear bases
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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Boston Globe
19 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. Witkoff said the U.S. would 'consider alternative options to bring the hostages home,' but U.S. officials did not answer questions about what those options could include. Advertisement When asked about next steps on Friday, Trump told reporters that Hamas didn't want to make a deal and said, 'I think what's going to happen is they're going to be hunted down.' Displaced Palestinians wait in front of a charity kitchen in the western Gaza City area, July 23, 2025. SAHER ALGHORRA/NYT Russia-Ukraine Status : War still going on. The backstory : Before he returned to office, Trump repeatedly said he would solve the Russia-Ukraine war in 24 hours — and even before he was sworn in as president. That didn't happen, and both sides remain far apart on reaching an agreement. Trump has become increasingly critical of President Vladimir Putin in recent months and is losing patience with his continued offensive in Ukraine. But Trump has resisted backing a bipartisan U.S. bill to impose steep sanctions on Russia, instead giving Russia 50 days to accept a peace deal or face sanctions on its energy exports. The delay has given Russia a window to continue a stepped-up offensive in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this week reiterated his willingness to meet face-to-face with Putin to end the conflict. Russia has rejected the offer, saying the countries are too far apart. Lower-level Ukrainian and Russian officials met Wednesday for talks in Istanbul, but no breakthroughs were announced. Putin has said any peace deal should include Ukraine withdrawing from the four regions that Russia illegally annexed in September 2022 but did not fully capture. He also wants Ukraine to renounce its bid to join NATO and accept limits on its military. Ukraine and its Western allies have rejected those terms. Rescuers clear the rubble after a Russian guided air bomb hit a city hospital in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Friday, July 25, 2025. Yevhen Titov/Associated Press Iran Status : Open conflict ended for the moment. Many unanswered questions remain. Advertisement The backstory : Trump was able to broker a fragile cease-fire between Israel and Iran after the U.S. joined Israel in launching strikes on Iran's nuclear program. But the status of Iran's nuclear program is another unanswered question for the Trump administration. While the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes dealt a blow to Iran's nuclear capacities, the United States has still not struck an agreement with Iran over its nuclear program. An Iranian diplomat said Wednesday that his country was ready to engage in talks on its nuclear program with the United States, but only after Washington takes meaningful steps to rebuild trust. Meanwhile, Iran has opened the door to a separate yet related negotiation track with Britain, France and Germany, three of the remaining members of a 2015 nuclear deal, which Trump withdrew the United States from in his first term. Foreign ministers from the four countries met in Istanbul on Friday to discuss European threats to reimpose sanctions on Iran if there is no progress on a deal to limit its nuclear program by August. An Iranian worshipper holds up a placard as the others wave Iranian and Palestinian flags during an anti-Israeli and anti-US protest after their Friday prayers in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 25, 2025. Vahid Salemi/Associated Press Other conflicts While deals in some of the most pressing conflicts have remained elusive to Trump, he has helped to broker agreements in the months he's been back in office. Rwanda-Democratic Republic of Congo : In June, he invited leaders from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the White House to sign an agreement seen as a major step toward peace after decades of conflict. The U.S.-brokered deal emphasizes the two neighboring countries' sovereignty and territorial integrity and includes a commitment to end hostilities and backing of armed groups. The deal also helps the U.S. government and American companies gain access to critical minerals in the region. Advertisement India-Pakistan : In May, when a series of military strikes brought longtime nuclear adversaries India and Pakistan closer to war, Trump's administration intervened. The nations agreed to stop fighting after the U.S.-led talks, and Trump said he would work to provide a 'solution' to the long-running dispute over the Indian-controlled Kashmir region. The cease-fire has held, but it's not clear what progress has been made on any long-term agreement. Last month, Trump had lunch at the White House with Asim Munir, Pakistan's army chief. Syria-Irsael : Earlier this month, after Israel intervened in fighting between Syrian government forces and rival armed groups, Trump's special envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, announced a limited cease-fire agreement between Israel and Syria. Barrack, who's also the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, said he met in Paris on Thursday with representatives from both countries to discuss de-escalation. Barrack said on social media that 'we accomplished precisely that' and that both sides committed to continuing the effort. Israel's intervention, however, caught Trump off guard and stymied his administration's push to get both countries to reach a full normalization of diplomatic relations.
Los Angeles Times
2 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Report card on Trump's first six months shows a lot of wins, a little room for growth
Over the course of four years' banishment to America's political wilderness while subjected to the humiliating and unprecedented spectacle of criminal prosecution, President Trump seems to have intuited a key life lesson: Time is of the essence. Carpe diem, seize the day. And so it has been. Like a thoroughbred bursting out of the Kentucky Derby starting gate, the second Trump administration has been racing full speed ahead ever since Trump was inaugurated once again as president of the United States. If the Derby is the 'fastest two minutes in sports,' then this has surely been the fastest six months in modern presidential history. Awareness of life's ticking clock is important for any elected official, but it is particularly important for Trump. During his first term in office, much of Trump's agenda was derailed or sidetracked by forces beyond his direct control: an unexpected John McCain thumbs-down on the Obamacare repeal vote, injunction-happy lower-court judges, subversive administrative state actors, a bogus special counsel probe on Russian election interference, the COVID-19 pandemic, extraordinary Big Tech censorship. Based on these experiences and sobered from those long interregnum years, Trump adjusted his game plan this time around. And it shows. So there's a lot to report here in the Trump administration's six-month report card. Economy: B+ There has been much in the way of genuinely great news on the economy. The stock market is considerably up since Trump resumed office, Trump's tariffs are bringing in substantial revenue to the Treasury, the president renewed his landmark 2017 tax cuts and cut taxes on tips and overtime pay, he has finalized historic trade deals with major powers, inflation has stayed relatively consistent and blue-chip companies have announced massive domestic investments in the U.S. economy. On the other hand, inflation stubbornly remains a bit high, the tariff rollout has been bumpy at best, and the 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' while a net positive piece of legislation, only exacerbated America's glaring debt problem. Elon Musk's DOGE, while still a great public service, also identified only a minuscule portion of federal bloat for rescission. Domestic policy: A The administration's broader domestic agenda has been, from a conservative perspective, extremely successful. Trump's war against the higher education establishment is long overdue and is already paying huge tangible dividends. Trump, through both court wins and crucial executive orders, has taken meaningful steps to curtail the administrative state Leviathan and consolidate executive power where it properly belongs: with the president himself. He has protected women's sports and female federal inmates from intimate exposure to biological males, protected vulnerable confused children from the irreversible depredations of transgender 'medicine' and crushed the modern racism that is 'diversity, equity and inclusion.' He has secured numerous other decades-sought-after domestic conservative goals, such as (partially) defunding Planned Parenthood, defunding NPR and PBS and vastly downsizing the Department of Education. Immigration: A+ Trump has not disappointed on his longstanding signature political issue, immigration. Illegal border crossings and 'gotaways' have dropped to historic lows as Trump, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and 'border czar' Tom Homan have overseen one of the most sweeping border security and immigration enforcement operations in American history. There are no signs of slowing down, either. Perhaps even better, the administration has pursued its immigration enforcement agenda in a way that also redounds to its political interests — from the Hamas-sympathizing former Columbia graduate student Mahmoud Khalil to the 'Maryland man' Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who is now charged with human smuggling. Law: A- Lower-court judges have tried to nip the administration's agenda in the bud with ludicrous nationwide injunctions, but most of those acts of judicial hubris will be brought to heel by Trump's recent Supreme Court victory in the CASA case. The administration has secured other crucial Supreme Court victories, including the Skrmetti case, which paved the way for states to protect vulnerable children from mutilating transgender surgeries. And while judicial nominations have gotten off to a slower start than during the first Trump term, the administration's picks thus far for federal courts have invariably been top-notch. On the other hand, the administration might want to try to entice more conservative older judges to take 'senior status' — perhaps, for instance, by offering them shiny ambassadorships. Finally, the Jeffrey Epstein saga, while not the monstrous scandal-in-the-making some even on the MAGA right make it out to be, has clearly not been handled particularly well. Foreign policy: A The Trump administration has reversed the Biden-era approach of rewarding geopolitical enemies and punishing geopolitical friends by returning to the more familiar approach he deployed during his first term: rewarding friends and punishing enemies. Trump's limited incursion in last month's 12-Day War between Israel and Iran achieved the decades-sought-after goal of severely hampering Iran's nuclear program, while also not suffering a single American casualty or even requiring a boot on the ground. In Europe, NATO nations are already committing to spend more money on defense, thus freeing up the United States to focus first and foremost on its true rival: Communist China. Trump has brought peace to India and Pakistan and to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. A Russia-Ukraine peace deal remains elusive, but Trump has shown an admirable willingness to adjust in response to changing circumstances. There is undoubtedly much work left to be done. Trump would probably be the first to say that himself. But his second administration is off to a very strong — and fast — start. Seize the day, indeed. Josh Hammer's latest book is 'Israel and Civilization: The Fate of the Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West.' This article was produced in collaboration with Creators Syndicate. @josh_hammer
Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Zelenskyy plans to ask Europe for help to pay Ukraine's soldiers
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy plans to ask European allies to help finance improved salaries for troops resisting Russia's invasion, in a bid to ease growing shortages of recruits. "Previously, Europeans refused to provide funding for the salaries of our military personnel, only for weapons," Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv on Thursday. "Our service members themselves can be the weapon that protects everyone." With a mobilization campaign in Ukraine increasingly unpopular among a population fatigued by the war that's in its fourth year, Zelenskyy's government wants to motivate more volunteers by offering substantial payments for those who sign military contracts. Russia has long offered large signing bonuses and high salaries to lure tens of thousands to its army each month, seeking to avoid any repeat of a spike in public anxiety when President Vladimir Putin ordered a partial draft a few months into the 2022 invasion. Increasing payments to soldiers would add to strains on Ukraine's state budget, which had a deficit exceeding 20% of gross domestic product last year amid massive military spending. The war-torn nation relies on tens of billions of dollars in aid from its foreign allies, who have so far rejected the idea of directly covering military expenses. While the International Monetary Fund, which is providing a loan program worth about $16 billion, is urging Kyiv to shrink the budget gap, the government has no plans to raise taxes, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko told Bloomberg News in an interview. Global donors have earmarked only half of the estimated $75 billion needed for the budget over the next two years, she said. Ukraine needs $25 billion annually to produce drones, jamming equipment and missiles to defend against Russia, which will bring the budget deficit to $65 billion next year, according to Zelenskyy. It has begun discussions on the issue with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer as well as U.S. officials, he said. "This is a very difficult topic," Zelenskyy added. Ukrainian companies have started manufacturing interceptor drones, and about $6 billion is required urgently to ramp up production, the president said. While he said the U.S. has agreed to buy drones designed and produced in Ukraine, Zelenskyy said he's seeking a contract worth between $10 billion and $30 billion. Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and Presidential Adviser Oleksandr Kamyshin have been tasked with handling the negotiations, he said. The president told reporters that Ukrainian forces had made "solid progress" in stalling Russian advances on the battefield. The situation in the northeastern Sumy region was now significantly better for Kyiv, though Russia remains focused on gains in the area as well as toward Pokrovsk, while the Dnipropetrovsk region "is very much desired by them," he said. Zelenskyy said the third round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on Wednesday yielded some progress toward preparing a meeting with Putin. Russian officials have said there's little point to a summit before the sides have negotiated an agreement to end the war. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
