Belarus has begun building a highly secretive military facility in the Slutsk region, 60 kilometers south of Minsk, which experts suggest could store Russian strategic missiles. Satellite images and investigative reporting by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), its Ukrainian unit Skhemy, and Estonian media Delfi Estonia and Eesti Ekspress reveal rapid construction on the previously untouched site.
Details of the Facility
- Satellite images from August 13, 2025, show multiple large structures including:
- 13 ammunition depots with protective walls
- Three large hangars, each around 100 meters long
- Foundations for additional buildings
- The construction site covers over 2 square kilometers, equivalent to 280 football fields.
- Roads and infrastructure are being developed to link the entire complex.
Experts note the strategic location at the highest point of Slutsk, potentially ideal for air defense systems.
Strategic Implications
Security analysts, including Konrad Muzyka of Rochan Consulting, indicate the facility could host weapons with strategic capabilities, possibly including the Russian Oreshnik hypersonic missiles, which Moscow has tested in attacks on Ukraine.
- Belarus is Russia’s only military ally in the region and has supported Russian operations in Ukraine.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced plans to deploy Oreshnik missiles to Belarus by the end of the year.
- Past use of the site during the Soviet era included storage of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles by the 306th Strategic Missile Regiment.
Historical Context
- From 1959 to 1993, the area housed Soviet nuclear assets, including long-range ballistic missiles.
- Belarus voluntarily joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1993, surrendering its inherited Soviet nuclear arsenal.
- The site was partially reactivated in 2024 for clearing unexploded ordnance and disposing of thousands of munitions, preceding the accelerated construction in 2025.
International Reactions
Authorities in Belarus have not commented on the construction, and the Ministry of Defense has declined requests for statements. The project occurs amid increased Russian-Belarusian military cooperation following the full-scale war in Ukraine, raising tensions with NATO and the West.
The rapid construction of a strategically significant military base in Belarus highlights the growing military alliance between Belarus and Russia and the potential deployment of advanced weapons in the region. Observers warn that the base could shift the security balance near NATO borders in Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia.
