2024-09-22 11:35:26
Moscow: Tunnels are being prepared at Russia’s northern nuclear test site. A Japanese think tank has made this claim based on recent satellite imagery. Based on satellite imagery, on September 18, 2024, the Open Laboratory for Emergence Strategies (ROLS) of Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo reported significant construction activities at Russia’s northern Novaya Zemlya nuclear test site. These pictures have fueled speculation about possible nuclear tests and the preparation of advanced weapon systems, especially the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile. According to the Eurasian Times report, ROLS has first found that soil was being removed from nuclear test tunnels this summer. Additional movements were seen here even after the summer. These activities have fueled speculation about Russia’s intentions regarding nuclear testing and weapons development. This speculation has increased because prominent Russian scientist Mikhail Kovalchuk had recently advocated resuming nuclear testing at Novaya Zemlya.
What did we find out from satellite images?
Satellite images from September revealed the removal of soil at some sites in the site, suggesting underground work was ongoing in tunnels. Further images confirmed the arrival of large transport ships and Rosatom aircraft, as well as large-scale construction on Novaya Zemlya. The Roles think tank said it was unclear whether these activities were linked to Russia’s ongoing nuclear tests, but they indicated some significant preparations.
These pictures have also brought the Burevestnik missile into discussion. Many analysts believe that the construction work on Novaya Zemlya is linked to the test of Burevestnik. It is a Russian low-flying, nuclear powered and nuclear armed cruise missile. This missile is launched using a standard rocket engine, after which a small nuclear reactor is activated in flight, enabling it to cover significant distances. Burevestnik has been nicknamed ‘Flying Chernobyl’.
Many tests of the missile have failed
The Burevestnik missile is not yet considered successful. It has undergone several tests, most of which did not yield positive results. A test near Arkhangelsk in 2019 failed and resulted in at least five deaths, although Russia has not acknowledged the test failure.
Novaya Zemlya nuclear test site, which is under the control of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The site has been used for, among other purposes, tests to verify the reliability of nuclear weapons. The first tests at Novaya Zemlya were conducted in the 1950s. There was an accident here in 1987, when a test explosion in the Matotskin Sari tunnel caused the shafts to collapse and a radioactive cloud to be released into the atmosphere. Russia’s last nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya took place in 1990.