Satellite reveals Russia’s preparations for the R-30 “Bulava” nuclear missile from space

This is an unusual episode worth noting. According to Defense Express, a satellite image has surfaced, showing the loading and preparation of Russia’s intercontinental ballistic missile R-30 “Bulava”, a component of the Russian Federation’s “nuclear triad” deployed on Project 955 “Borei” nuclear submarines. Interestingly, Russian specialist media were the first to highlight this, claiming the image “exposed” operations by the 12th Main Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense, which is responsible for nuclear weapons maintenance.

This is a rare event, as until now, satellite images of Russia’s missile preparation activities, especially for nuclear-capable missiles, had not entered the public domain. This development is noteworthy.

The exact time and location of the image remain unknown. It appears that a transport-launch container with the R-30 “Bulava” (gray in color) is positioned in the lower left corner of the image, along with several support vehicles.

What stands out is that the Russians make no attempt at camouflage, conducting these missile preparations openly, likely with the intention of loading it onto one of the Project 955 nuclear submarines.

This instance reveals a certain level of “mutual transparency”: Western countries can continuously monitor processes associated with Russia’s nuclear arsenal via satellites, while Russia appears to conduct such operations in a demonstrative manner, likely as a form of psychological posturing.

While this is about strategic nuclear weapons, it’s reasonable to assume that similar preparations on Russian strategic aviation airfields are also closely monitored by Western satellites.