Satellite pictures have reportedly revealed the location of Vladimir Putin's secret nuclear launch site, presumably built for the dreaded "Skyfall" nuclear missile.
Knewz.com has learned that two researchers from the United States have identified a construction project adjacent to a nuclear warhead storage facility as the launch site for the "invincible" missile.
The storage facility, also known by the names "Vologda-20" and "Chebsara," is located around 295 miles north of Moscow.
Analyzing the images shared by the commercial satellite firm Planet Labs, Decker Eveleth of the CNA research and analysis organization identified what appeared to be nine horizontal launch pads currently under construction.
Eveleth believes that the nuclear launch sites are distributed in three groups, each protected from outside attacks and accidental explosions by raised banks.
These banks, or berms, are seemingly linked by roads to buildings that the CNA analyst believes would serve as maintenance facilities for the missile and its components. They are also connected to the nuclear warhead storage facility, according to Eveleth.
The analyst further pointed out that the under-construction launch site is meant for a "large, fixed missile system," adding that the "only large, fixed missile system that they're (Russia) currently developing is the 'Skyfall.'"
The satellite images were also reviewed by Jeffery Lewis of the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, upon Eveleth's request.
Lewis agreed with the assessment made by the CNA analyst, saying that the photos "suggest something very unique, very different. And obviously, we know that Russia is developing this nuclear-powered missile."
The dreaded weapon in question is the 9M730 Burevestnik, a new nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile, that the Russian President described as "invincible" when it was first unveiled in 2018.
At the time Putin claimed that the nuclear missile "has an almost unlimited range and can evade U.S. missile defenses."
However, experts in the West have begged to differ regarding the strategic value of the nuke—which NATO calls the "SSC-X-9 Skyfall."
It has been reported that the theoretically powerful nuclear cruise missile has not had a perfect track record during its testing phase, only witnessing two "partial" successes since 2016.
On August 8, 2019, the nuclear missile became the center of international controversy, when attempts to recover the "Skyfall" (presumably) set off a major explosion. According to the Russian state nuclear agency Rosatom, five people lost their lives in the incident.
At the time, the U.S. Department of State released a statement regarding the explosion, which read:
"[...] Russia also has much to answer for regarding the August 8th “Skyfall” incident. The United States has determined that the explosion near Nenoksa, Russia, was the result of a nuclear reaction that occurred during the recovery of a Russian nuclear-powered cruise missile."
"The missile remained on the bed of the White Sea since its failed test early last year, in close proximity to a major population center," the statement by the State Department added.
Overall, Western experts believe that the nuclear missile will not "add capabilities that Moscow does not already have," and will raise the risk of "a radiation-spewing mishap" at the same time.
The satellite photos of the reported nuclear launch site were further analyzed by Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists – once again at Eveleth's request – who said that the launch pads and other construction do indicate a possible connection with the "Skyfall" nuke.
He added, however, that it was not possible for him to make a definitive assessment based on the fact that "Moscow does not typically place missile launchers next to nuclear warhead storage," it was reported.
"Eveleth, Lewis, Kristensen and three other experts said Moscow's normal practice has been stockpiling nuclear payloads for land-based missiles far from launch sites - except for those on its deployed Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) force," Reuters recently wrote.
"But deploying the Burevestnik at Vologda would allow the Russian military to stockpile the nuclear-armed missiles in its bunkers, making them available to launch quickly."