Non Strategic Nuclear Weapons - Federation of American Scientists

Profile: Kaliningrad Region
The statement by Polish officials that Russia has “upgraded the infrastructure” necessary
for storage of nuclear weapons in Kaliningrad also appears to be accurate because it
matches developments seen on commercial satellite images. The images show recent upgrades
to what appears to be a nuclear warhead storage facility located approximately 17
km northwest of Kaliningrad city, only five miles from Chkalovsk Air Base. Sometime
between September 2002 and June 2010, the security perimeter around the facility was
significantly upgraded and vegetation cleared (see Figure 25).
Figure 25:
Upgrade of Nuclear Warhead Storage Facility in Kaliningrad
Commercial satellite images show that a possible nuclear warhead storage facility (54°50'12.51"N,
20°21'12.82"E) north of Chkalovsk Air Base was upgraded between September 2002 (le�) and June 2010
(right). Images: DigitalGlobe (le�) and GeoEye (right) via GoogleEarth
The facility has several features that are typical for known nuclear weapons storage
facilities elsewhere in Russia. The most telling is a 50x100 meter triple-fenced perimeter
around what appears to be a dirt-covered weapons storage igloo. Two other igloos appear
to have similar features. The three igloos are clustered around service buildings inside the
770x860 meter double-fenced perimeter. Access is through a security checkpoint at the
main gate to the west.
While it is unknown if nuclear warheads are present in Kaliningrad, it is clear that
several nuclear-capable non-strategic delivery vehicles are deployed in the region. This
includes naval vessels, aircraft, short-range ballistic missile launchers, air-defense systems,
and a coastal defense missile.
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