Latest news with #BarentsObserver
The Irish Sun
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Vladimir Putin expands nuclear missile base after test at frozen site killed five in horror radiation leak disaster
VLADIMIR Putin has expanded one of his nuclear weapons bases with new secured structures that could be used as missile launchpads. Bombshell satellite images show construction work inside the strictly controlled military site of Nenoksa - where five people were killed after a Advertisement 8 Satellite images show three new test facilities constructed at the Nenoksa naval facility in Russia Credit: Google Earth 8 The area was covered with dense forest before 2023 Credit: Google Earth 8 Three new facilities - each the size of a football field - can be seen at the centre of the naval testing site. They have been constructed near a railway line that is thought to bring missiles and testing gear into Nenoksa. The area, which before 2023 was forest, is now surrounded by double-barbed wire fences. The entire compound, located some 40 miles west of Arkhangelsk in northern Russia, is thought to be more than 61,000 square meters wide - and is heavily fortified. Advertisement read more on Putin Construction at the Russian military site is thought to have begun in 2023, according to the Barents Observer, which has been tracking all its activities. Several big containers, reportedly used to store missiles, can be seen in the pictures. A dedicated launch pad with two missile containers can be seen in the centre. Both launchers are directed towards the White Sea, the latest Google Earth images show. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Exclusive Similar blue launcher containers can also be seen in other test facilities for missiles in Russia . This includes the Kapustin Yar in the Astrakhan region and recent years, at Pankovo at Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic. Chernobyl 2.0: Putin's drone strike has exposed a NEW PROBLEM The latter has been used by Rosatom for testing the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile under development. Another launch area is located by the shore in the northwest outskirts of the Nenoksa test range seems to still be active. Advertisement There is no public information available revealing what kind of missile tests will take place at the new constructions that can be seen on the latest satellite images. In 2019, American nuke experts saod the testing of a Russian nuclear cruise missile was to blame for a huge explosion at a military site. Russia 's state nuclear agency confirmed the deaths were caused by a blast, which left a further three people injured and sparked radiation fears. Advertisement The accident happened while testing 'isotopic power sources in a liquid propulsion system', state nuclear agency Rosatom said in a statement. But US experts claim Rosatom may have been testing an experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile, which Vladimir Putin last year claimed to be 'invincible against all existing and prospective' defence systems. 8 Nenoksa naval testing range in 2025 Credit: Google Earth 8 Radiation levels in the Russian city of Severodvinsk rose dramatically on August 8 as a result of the mysterious explosion Credit: Reuters Advertisement 8 Putin is thought to be building the new site to test missiles Credit: AFP Russian officials initially tried to play down the radiation leak, saying the levels were normal. But a spokeswoman for Severodvinsk, a city close to the test site, said in a statement that a "short-term" spike in background radiation was recorded at noon Thursday. In separate interviews , two experts said that a liquid rocket propellant explosion would not release radiation. Advertisement They said the explosion and radiation release could have resulted from a mishap during the testing of a nuclear-powered cruise missile at a facility outside the village of Nyonoksa. Neither the Defence Ministry nor Rosatom have identified the type of weapon that exploded during the test. But Rosatom's statement said the explosion occurred during tests of a "nuclear isotope power source," which led observers to conclude it was the "Burevestnik" or "Storm Petrel," a nuclear-powered cruise missile. NATO has code-named the missile "Skyfall." Advertisement The missile was first revealed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his 2018 state-of-the-nation address, along with other doomsday weapons. Ankit Panda, an adjunct senior fellow with the Federation of American Scientists, said: "Liquid fuel missile engines exploding do not give off radiation, and we know that the Russians are working on some kind of nuclear propulsion for a cruise missile." Arkhangelsk is a city in the north-east of Russia and was once the country's main seaport until 1703. 8 Footage released by the Russian state news agency claims to show a test of the Burevetnik missile Advertisement 8 The Nenoksa base is the centre for the Navy's missile testing
The Sun
17-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Vladimir Putin expands nuclear missile base after test at frozen site killed five in horror radiation leak disaster
VLADIMIR Putin has expanded one of his nuclear weapons bases with new secured structures that could be used as missile launchpads. Bombshell satellite images show construction work inside the strictly controlled military site of Nenoksa - where five people were killed after a nuclear-powered missile exploded at the testing site. 8 8 8 Three new facilities - each the size of a football field - can be seen at the centre of the naval testing site. They have been constructed near a railway line that is thought to bring missiles and testing gear into Nenoksa. The area, which before 2023 was forest, is now surrounded by double-barbed wire fences. The entire compound, located some 40 miles west of Arkhangelsk in northern Russia, is thought to be more than 61,000 square meters wide - and is heavily fortified. Construction at the Russian military site is thought to have begun in 2023, according to the Barents Observer, which has been tracking all its activities. Several big containers, reportedly used to store missiles, can be seen in the pictures. A dedicated launch pad with two missile containers can be seen in the centre. Both launchers are directed towards the White Sea, the latest Google Earth images show. Similar blue launcher containers can also be seen in other test facilities for missiles in Russia. This includes the Kapustin Yar in the Astrakhan region and recent years, at Pankovo at Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic. Chernobyl 2.0: Putin's drone strike has exposed a NEW PROBLEM The latter has been used by Rosatom for testing the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile under development. Another launch area is located by the shore in the northwest outskirts of the Nenoksa test range seems to still be active. There is no public information available revealing what kind of missile tests will take place at the new constructions that can be seen on the latest satellite images. In 2019, five Rosatom experts were killed after they were exposed to radiation at the Nenoksa site. American nuke experts saod the testing of a Russian nuclear cruise missile was to blame for a huge explosion at a military site. Russia's state nuclear agency confirmed the deaths were caused by a blast, which left a further three people injured and sparked radiation fears. The accident happened while testing 'isotopic power sources in a liquid propulsion system', state nuclear agency Rosatom said in a statement. But US experts claim Rosatom may have been testing an experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile, which Vladimir Putin last year claimed to be 'invincible against all existing and prospective' defence systems. 8 8 8 Russian officials initially tried to play down the radiation leak, saying the levels were normal. But a spokeswoman for Severodvinsk, a city close to the test site, said in a statement that a "short-term" spike in background radiation was recorded at noon Thursday. In separate interviews, two experts said that a liquid rocket propellant explosion would not release radiation. They said the explosion and radiation release could have resulted from a mishap during the testing of a nuclear-powered cruise missile at a facility outside the village of Nyonoksa. Neither the Defence Ministry nor Rosatom have identified the type of weapon that exploded during the test. But Rosatom's statement said the explosion occurred during tests of a "nuclear isotope power source," which led observers to conclude it was the "Burevestnik" or "Storm Petrel," a nuclear-powered cruise missile. NATO has code-named the missile "Skyfall." The missile was first revealed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in his 2018 state-of-the-nation address, along with other doomsday weapons. Ankit Panda, an adjunct senior fellow with the Federation of American Scientists, said: "Liquid fuel missile engines exploding do not give off radiation, and we know that the Russians are working on some kind of nuclear propulsion for a cruise missile." Arkhangelsk is a city in the north-east of Russia and was once the country's main seaport until 1703. 8 8
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists reveal unexpected cause of change in massive glacier: 'We should be concerned about this'
Scientists from Norway and the United States have discovered an unexpected cause behind the melting of Europe's third largest glacier, known as Austfonna — meaning "eastern ice cap." Their findings explain why the glacier has been shrinking even when it has been cold outside. Austfonna is an ice cap, a domed glacier flowing outward in every direction. This one currently covers a huge portion of Nordaustlandet, an island that is part of the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. Austfonna is retreating — or melting — and a team of scientists wanted to understand why. Researchers from the Norwegian Polar Institute, the Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, the University of Oregon, and at least three Norwegian universities have discovered that warming ocean waters — rather than simply the warming atmosphere — have been a main cause behind the melting of the glacier front. This explains why Austfonna has melted even during some of the colder and darker days in the Arctic. "Ocean temperature controls the observed frontal ablation," the team wrote in a study recently published in the journal Nature Communications. The co-authors continued, "The immediate response of frontal ablation to seasonal ocean warming suggests that marine-terminating glaciers in high Arctic regions exposed to Atlantification are prone to rapid changes that should be accounted for in future glacier projections." "Atlantification" describes the warming of Arctic Ocean waters. Whereas a warming atmosphere was previously "thought to have a major effect on melting," the Barents Observer noted this new study's significance in underscoring the real impacts of ocean warming on glacier mass loss. "The warm ocean retains energy better than the atmosphere. That's something we've found — that the ocean can stay warm well into autumn, cause melting and calving of glacier fronts," study co-author Geir Moholdt told the Barents Observer. "We should be concerned about this because glacier mass loss happens all over the world." Glacier melting is a driver of sea level rise, the rate of which has "doubled since satellite measurements began," according to the World Meteorological Organization's latest State of the Global Climate report. Rising sea levels are eroding land and threatening communities in the Arctic. Sea level rise also poses great risks to U.S. coastlines and coastlines everywhere, with residents increasingly vulnerable to storm surges and flooding. Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The root cause of glacier melting is a build-up of heat-trapping gases in Earth's atmosphere. Transitioning to renewable energy sources and away from dirty energy can help mitigate the crisis and its effects. Making your next car purchase an electric vehicle — new or used — could help reduce the abundance of carbon pollution that warms our planet. Modernizing your home with the installation of solar panels or a heat pump can also meaningfully curb harmful emissions. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia designates Norwegian media outlet an 'undesirable organisation'
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The office of Russia's Prosecutor General said on Friday it had designated The Barents Observer, a Norwegian media outlet, as an "undesirable organisation", a move which effectively bans it outright in Russia. The Prosecutor General accused the news outlet, which publishes in English and Russian, of disseminating information "with a pronounced anti-Russian orientation". It said it had published articles aimed at "stimulating protest sentiment among the population of Russia's northern regions, at toughening anti-Russian sanctions, and at encouraging the need to build up NATO's military presence near our borders". See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. In a statement, the prosecutor's office added: "A significant amount of information disseminated by the organisation is devoted to discrediting the activities of the armed forces of the Russian Federation." Thomas Nilsen, the editor of the Barents Observer, which has six journalists on its staff according to its website, said he regarded the designation as recognition that his publication was doing "a good job". "Journalism is no crime, the crime is to stop free media and freedom of expression," Nilsen, who was in 2017 banned from entering Russia by the FSB security service for five years on national security grounds which he disputed, told Reuters in a statement. "The Barents Observer will continue to report, in Russian and English languages, about important developments in the Russian north," said Nilsen, whose publication also writes about developments on the heavily militarised Kola Peninsula where Russia's Northern Fleet is headquartered. Nilsen, who has hired Russian journalists who left the country due to Russia's war in Ukraine, said he linked the timing of the Russian decision to a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights on Thursday which said that a 2019 move by Russia's communications regulator to block the website of the Barents Observer in Russia violated freedom of expression. Russia's parliament in 2022 passed a pair of bills ending the European Court of Human Rights' jurisdiction in the country, a rupture provoked by the conflict in Ukraine.
Reuters
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Russia designates Norwegian media outlet an 'undesirable organisation'
MOSCOW, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The office of Russia's Prosecutor General said on Friday it had designated The Barents Observer, a Norwegian media outlet, as an "undesirable organisation", a move which effectively bans it outright in Russia. The Prosecutor General accused the news outlet, which publishes in English and Russian, of disseminating information "with a pronounced anti-Russian orientation". It said it had published articles aimed at "stimulating protest sentiment among the population of Russia's northern regions, at toughening anti-Russian sanctions, and at encouraging the need to build up NATO's military presence near our borders". In a statement, the prosecutor's office added: "A significant amount of information disseminated by the organisation is devoted to discrediting the activities of the armed forces of the Russian Federation." Thomas Nilsen, the editor of the Barents Observer, which has six journalists on its staff according to its website, said he regarded the designation as recognition that his publication was doing "a good job". "Journalism is no crime, the crime is to stop free media and freedom of expression," Nilsen, who was in 2017 banned from entering Russia by the FSB security service for five years on national security grounds which he disputed, told Reuters in a statement. "The Barents Observer will continue to report, in Russian and English languages, about important developments in the Russian north," said Nilsen, whose publication also writes about developments on the heavily militarised Kola Peninsula where Russia's Northern Fleet is headquartered. Nilsen, who has hired Russian journalists who left the country due to Russia's war in Ukraine, said he linked the timing of the Russian decision to a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights on Thursday which said that a 2019 move by Russia's communications regulator to block the website of the Barents Observer in Russia violated freedom of expression. Russia's parliament in 2022 passed a pair of bills ending the European Court of Human Rights' jurisdiction in the country, a rupture provoked by the conflict in Ukraine.
