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Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Russia's Secret Nuclear Changes Revealed In ‘Huge' Security Breach
Russia has been undertaking a large-scale modernization of its nuclear missile infrastructure for years, according to leaked classified documents cited in a media investigation. The German publication Der Spiegel and Danish investigative group Danwatch, said the secret files showed architectural plans, internal layouts, and procurement records for new military installations and the outlets published satellite imagery they say backs up their claims. The investigation did not clarify to what extent the inner workings of the constructions are as specified by the blueprints. Hans Kristensen, director of the nuclear information project at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) told Newsweek the documents cited by the outlets appear to be construction blueprints. Tom Røseth, a Norwegian military expert who saw some of the documents, told Newsweek their revelations represented "a huge breach of security" for Russia. Newsweek has not independently confirmed the investigation's claims and has contacted Russia's defense ministry for comment. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in 2018 the development of new nuclear weapons systems he said would put his country ahead in the arms race with the West. An investigation that says Russia was also conducting a large-scale modernization of the Russian nuclear weapons complex, which Putin did not mention, will add to concerns about the threat Moscow poses. This is salient given the boasts by the Kremlin and its propagandists of Russia's atomic arms capabilities since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The investigation released on Wednesday and reported by Ukrainian outlets and BBC Russian, says Danwatch journalists had obtained more than two million documents concerning Russian military contracts, which were analyzed in collaboration with Der Spiegel. Although Russia tightened laws in 2020 restricting military records, the investigators said they bypassed these measures in 2024 to find blueprints revealing the layout of military sites with strategic nuclear weapons. The documents are said to reveal the modernization program, including renewing old Soviet-era bases and building other facilities from scratch. Images showed new barracks, guard towers, command centers, and storage buildings as well as underground tunnels, the journalists said. They also revealed internal layout of facilities where protective equipment is stored, locations of weapon cabinets and control rooms, and which buildings are connected by underground tunnels, the publications said. Journalists said the documents included blueprints of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces sites in the city of Yasny in the Orenburg region and detailed floor plans for facilities of the 621st and 368th missile regiments. The Yasny site is one of 11 locations from which missiles with nuclear warheads can be launched. The town hosts Russia's Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, according to the journalists. Experts estimate Russia has about 900 strategic nuclear warheads in underground silos. Kristensen, from the FAS, told Newsweek the documents appear to be construction blueprints which open a second layer to open-source intelligence and allow experts to combine satellite imagery observations with identified structures in the images. Røseth, associate professor in intelligence studies at the Norwegian Defence University College, said that while there was a small possibility it could be a disinformation campaign from Russia but the breach "appears to me very credible and the immense scope of it is impressive." "It reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the system," he told Newsweek Thursday, "and also details of the compounds and the nuclear silos." Danwatch and Der Spiegel said they had "gained access to hundreds of highly detailed blueprints showing how Russia is carrying out an enormous modernization of some of the world's most sensitive nuclear weapons facilities." Hans Kristensen, director of the nuclear information project at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) to Newsweek: "The documents open a second layer to open-source intelligence by allowing us to combine satellite imagery observations with identified structures in the blueprints." Tom Røseth, associate professor in intelligence studies at the Norwegian Defence University College to Newsweek: "It's nothing new that you have weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the Russian information system that you can access … But these specific details of nuclear sites are of far more importance." The documents show the extent of Russia's modernization of its strategic nuclear weapons forces is real and will add resonance to any future nuclear threats that Moscow makes. Related Articles Explosion Kills Russian Air Commander Who Lay Siege to Ukrainian CityChina Learns New Lessons From Russia-Ukraine War: ReportNATO Army Chief Sounds Alarm: 'The Threat Is Real'China's Military Presence Grows on Doorstep of New U.S. Partner 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
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First Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
From blueprint of bases to IT systems, Russia's nuclear secrets revealed online
In an unprecedented leak of around 2 million documents, the expansion of Russian nuclear programme has been revealed online, ranging from the blueprint of missile bases to details of IT systems, power grids, and security arrangements. read more In this pool photograph distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow on April 26, 2025. AP Photo In the barren Russian Ural mountains' Yasny town, Russia built one of the world's most secure military complexes that houses the country's ground-based, long-range nuclear-capable missiles. But that was until yesterday. Today, the complex's insides are on the internet where you can take a virtual tour. In an unprecedented scoop, Danish outlet Danwatch and German magazine Der Spiegel obtained around 2 million documents related to the Russian nuclear programme that reveal in exhaustive details the layout of nuclear weapons' complexes, the expansion of the nuclear weapons programme, and the security features in place at these top-secret sites. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the post-Cold War world, it is for the first time that such details have been obtained, according to Hans M Kristensen, the Director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS). 'Until now, we have only been able to monitor these bases from above using satellite imagery. Now, with the help of these unique drawings, we can now for the first time get inside the buildings and all the way underground. It's completely unprecedented,' Kristensen told Danwatch and Der Spiegel. The photograph shows the satellite view of the Russian nuclear weapons complex in the town of Yasny. (Photo: Google Earth) The scoop has been reported at a time when Russian war on Ukraine is in its fourth year. Throughout the war, Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin and his top aides, have invoked nuclear weapons. Dmitry Medvedev, a former President of Russia and a key ally of Putin, has threatened Western nations with nuclear strikes over continued support of Ukraine. Inside Russia's nuclear weapons complexes — literally While foreign governments as well as researchers can monitor Russian military complexes, or complexes of any country, from satellite images, the documents unearthed by Danwatch and Der Spiegel offer unprecedented inside those structures. While it has been known from satellite images that Russia has been expanding its nuclear weapons capabilities for nearly a decade, exactly how it has been expanding has been revealed in these documents. Consider this: the documents reveal what type of steel is supposed to be used in a nuclear weapons complex, how dense construction material should be, how thick insulation should be, whether ceiling beams should be exposed or concealed, and how long should lightning rods be, and what the quality of hinges on security windows should be. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The documents have hundreds of original blueprints related to the nuclear warheads and missiles' storage sites. These documents also lay bare the IT systems, electrical installations, and water supply network, and heating and ventilation systems installed in such sites. This is a screenshot of one of the documents that Danwatch has shared on the website as part of the trove of around 2 million part of their discovery. The documents also reveal the multi-layer security arrangements. They show that bases have three layers of electric fences around the outer perimeter, seismic and radioactivity sensors, explosion-proof doors and windows, reinforced concrete buildings, and alarm systems with magnetic contacts and infrared (IR) sensors. The internal layout is described such that it lays bare where soldiers eat, sleep, and relieve themselves. The documents also describe which rooms in the complex store the protective gear and where weapons are kept. Even control rooms of nuclear weapons complexes are mentioned in these documents. 'This is ultimate intelligence' With such details, mounting an attack on such complexes or infiltrating such complexes in times of conflict would become much easier as you would know the weak spots, where weapons are stored, and what security arrangements are in place. Former British intelligence officer Philip Ingram told Danwatch and Der Spiegel that these documents are 'the ultimate intelligence'. 'Material like this is the ultimate intelligence. If you can understand how the electricity is conducted or where the water comes from, and you can see how the different things are connected in the systems, then you can identify strengths and weaknesses and find a weak point to attack,' said Colonel (Retired) Ingram, who served in the Intelligence Corps of the British Army. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD ALSO READ: When Ukraine gave up world's 3rd-largest nuclear arsenal, did it set stage for Russian invasion? Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists said that the documents are the deepest dive yet into Russia's nuclear weapons programme. 'Your research is the deepest into the structure of these facilities that I have seen in the public domain. And we have to go all the way back to the buildings and systems of the 60s and 70s, where I remember seeing similar blueprints. Seeing it on these new systems, that's a whole new chapter,' Kristensen told Danwatch and Der Spiegel.
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Russia's Secret Nuclear Changes Revealed In 'Huge' Security Breach
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Russia has been undertaking a large-scale modernization of its nuclear missile infrastructure for years, according to leaked classified documents cited in a media investigation. The German publication Der Spiegel and Danish investigative group Danwatch, said the secret files showed architectural plans, internal layouts, and procurement records for new military installations and the outlets published satellite imagery they say backs up their claims. The investigation did not clarify to what extent the inner workings of the constructions are as specified by the blueprints. Hans Kristensen, director of the nuclear information project at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) told Newsweek the documents cited by the outlets appear to be construction blueprints. Tom Røseth, a Norwegian military expert who saw some of the documents, told Newsweek their revelations represented "a huge breach of security" for Russia. Newsweek has not independently confirmed the investigation's claims and has contacted Russia's defense ministry for comment. This image from May 5, 2024 shows a Russian RS-24 Yars nuclear missile complex during military parade rehearsals in Red Square, Moscow. This image from May 5, 2024 shows a Russian RS-24 Yars nuclear missile complex during military parade rehearsals in Red Square, Moscow. Getty Images Why It Matters Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in 2018 the development of new nuclear weapons systems he said would put his country ahead in the arms race with the West. An investigation that says Russia was also conducting a large-scale modernization of the Russian nuclear weapons complex, which Putin did not mention, will add to concerns about the threat Moscow poses. This is salient given the boasts by the Kremlin and its propagandists of Russia's atomic arms capabilities since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. What To Know The investigation released on Wednesday and reported by Ukrainian outlets and BBC Russian, says Danwatch journalists had obtained more than two million documents concerning Russian military contracts, which were analyzed in collaboration with Der Spiegel. Although Russia tightened laws in 2020 restricting military records, the investigators said they bypassed these measures in 2024 to find blueprints revealing the layout of military sites with strategic nuclear weapons. The documents are said to reveal the modernization program, including renewing old Soviet-era bases and building other facilities from scratch. Images showed new barracks, guard towers, command centers, and storage buildings as well as underground tunnels, the journalists said. They also revealed internal layout of facilities where protective equipment is stored, locations of weapon cabinets and control rooms, and which buildings are connected by underground tunnels, the publications said. A major leak exposing Russian nuclear bases has been revealed by investigative journalists from Danwatch and Der Spiegel. The Russian facilities are in the Orenburg region, south of the Ural mountains and near the city of Yasny. The article shows even a fly-through of the… — (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) May 28, 2025 Who's going to tell Putin someone leaked his nuclear secrets online? Good work by Danwork and Der Spiegel to allow the world to see inside Russia's nuclear silos. It's partly 3D interactive so visit the site, but a few screenshots here — Tim White (@TWMCLtd) May 28, 2025 Journalists said the documents included blueprints of Russia's Strategic Missile Forces sites in the city of Yasny in the Orenburg region and detailed floor plans for facilities of the 621st and 368th missile regiments. The Yasny site is one of 11 locations from which missiles with nuclear warheads can be launched. The town hosts Russia's Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle, according to the journalists. Experts estimate Russia has about 900 strategic nuclear warheads in underground silos. Kristensen, from the FAS, told Newsweek the documents appear to be construction blueprints which open a second layer to open-source intelligence and allow experts to combine satellite imagery observations with identified structures in the images. Røseth, associate professor in intelligence studies at the Norwegian Defence University College, said that while there was a small possibility it could be a disinformation campaign from Russia but the breach "appears to me very credible and the immense scope of it is impressive." "It reveals the strengths and weaknesses of the system," he told Newsweek Thursday, "and also details of the compounds and the nuclear silos." What People Are Saying Danwatch and Der Spiegel said they had "gained access to hundreds of highly detailed blueprints showing how Russia is carrying out an enormous modernization of some of the world's most sensitive nuclear weapons facilities." Hans Kristensen, director of the nuclear information project at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) to Newsweek: "The documents open a second layer to open-source intelligence by allowing us to combine satellite imagery observations with identified structures in the blueprints." Tom Røseth, associate professor in intelligence studies at the Norwegian Defence University College to Newsweek: "It's nothing new that you have weaknesses and vulnerabilities in the Russian information system that you can access … But these specific details of nuclear sites are of far more importance." What Happens Next The documents show the extent of Russia's modernization of its strategic nuclear weapons forces is real and will add resonance to any future nuclear threats that Moscow makes.
