Russia on high alert: Nuclear base plans leaked in document dump

• Journalists from Danwatch and "Der Spiegel" have revealed the leak of two million documents relating to Russia's secret nuclear bases.
• The documents disclose extensive modernisation of military infrastructure, including the construction of new barracks, guard towers, and underground tunnels.
• Experts warn that the leak could expose vulnerabilities to attack, compelling Russia to undertake expensive reconstruction of its bases.

Journalists from the investigative portal Danwatch and the newspaper "Der Spiegel" have obtained two million Russian documents pertaining to the country's secret nuclear bases. Among them are detailed plans for the construction and modernisation of the base in Yasny, where the Avangard hypersonic glide missile has been positioned since 2019. The documents also reveal information about security systems, the placement of cameras and sensors, and infrastructure details such as underground tunnels and weapon rooms.

— 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 – says Philip Ingram, former colonel and commander of the British Army’s 1st Military Intelligence Battalion.

Tom Roset from the Norwegian Staff College adds that Western intelligence services are closely monitoring the modernisation of Russian nuclear forces, which could influence their defensive strategy.

The Russian Ministry of Defence has yet to comment on the matter, but experts predict that the data leak may compel Russia to reconstruct its bases. Altering the infrastructure in these facilities will be costly, which could impact the country's defence budget. The State Duma had previously tightened public procurement regulations for the military; however, as can be seen, this did not prevent the leak.