Air Force Nuclear Weapons Storage Bases
Scope and Units Provided
This analysis addresses Russian Air Force/Aerospace Forces nuclear weapons storage sites described as Repair-Technical Bases (RTB). The dataset comprises the following military unit identifiers (voyennaya chast): 77922, 23477 (Vozdvizhenka-2), 19089 (Tver-9), 40689, 77910, 26219, 75365, 55796, and 23476.
Organizational Context: 12th Main Directorate (12th GUMO)
Within the Russian Ministry of Defense, the 12th Main Directorate (12 GU MO) is responsible for the storage, maintenance, accounting, transport, and physical security of nuclear munitions. Air-deliverable nuclear ordnance for Long-Range Aviation (DA) and other aviation branches of the Aerospace Forces (VKS) is held under 12th GUMO custody at dedicated RTBs; operational aviation units do not routinely control nuclear warheads in peacetime.
RTB Functions and Technical Capabilities
RTBs perform secure storage, periodic maintenance and environmental conditioning, technical inspection, and pre-issue preparation of air-deliverable nuclear munitions. Facility functions typically include climate-controlled magazines, handling and checkout workshops, protected loading bays, explosive safety arcs, and rail/road interfaces for receipt and dispatch. They support weapons intended for heavy bombers (for example, nuclear-armed air-launched cruise missiles) and, where applicable, tactical aviation nuclear stores; specific weapon types and quantities are not publicly disclosed.
Infrastructure and Physical Security
Open-source descriptions of Russian nuclear technical bases indicate multilayered physical security—double-fenced perimeters, controlled access points, intrusion detection, hardened earth-covered storage structures, internal patrol roads, and dedicated 12th GUMO guard elements. Redundant power, fire suppression, and environmental control systems are standard to ensure safety and compliance with nuclear surety requirements.
Operations, Handling, and Readiness
In peacetime, nuclear warheads are stored de-mated from delivery systems under 12th GUMO control. Transfers to operational aviation units take place only for training evolutions or elevated readiness, using specialized 12th GUMO road convoys and secure rail shipments; routing, schedules, and inventories are classified. Publicly announced strategic deterrence exercises routinely include bomber participation, but movement or loading of nuclear munitions is not disclosed in official releases.
Treaty and Transparency Context
Under the 2010 New START Treaty (in force since 5 February 2011 and extended to 5 February 2026), heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments count as one deployed warhead each, and storage depots for bomber weapons are not subject to on-site verification. On 21 February 2023, the Russian Federation announced suspension of its participation in New START, which halted inspections and routine data exchanges; as a result, no treaty-based public insight is available on the status of RTBs that support aviation nuclear armaments.
Geographic Co-location Patterns
Aviation RTBs are generally co-located with or adjacent to major bomber operating bases and selected tactical aviation garrisons, providing short transfer distances to flight lines while remaining physically segregated for safety and security. Open-source reporting over decades has associated RTBs with long-range aviation hubs such as Engels (Saratov Oblast), Olenya/Olenegorsk (Murmansk Oblast), Ukrainka (Amur Oblast), Belaya (Irkutsk Oblast), Soltsy (Novgorod Oblast), and Shaykovka (Kaluga Oblast); specific unit numbers for these locations are not officially published.
Site Note: Vozdvizhenka-2 (military unit 23477)
Vozdvizhenka-2 is cited as an aviation RTB near the historical Vozdvizhenka air base in Primorsky Krai, a site that hosted Tu-22M3 bomber operations during the Soviet and early Russian periods. Public sources identify the site by name; however, detailed information such as precise storage capacity, internal infrastructure layout, and current stockholdings is not disclosed in official channels.
Site Note: Tver-9 (military unit 19089)
Tver-9 is cited as an RTB in Tver Oblast. No official public documentation provides detailed location, capacity, or current operational posture. Its categorization as an aviation RTB indicates association with the broader western theater support network, but specific basing details and supported aviation units are not publicly confirmed.
Identification Status of Remaining Units
The remaining unit identifiers—77922, 40689, 77910, 26219, 75365, 55796, and 23476—are listed as Repair-Technical Bases. Open-source, authoritative mappings that tie these unit numbers to named garrisons or specific airfields are not publicly available; granular site locations, infrastructure descriptions, and assigned weapon families are classified and cannot be provided.
Security, Safety, and Oversight
RTBs operate under stringent technical and safety regimes directed by the Ministry of Defense and 12th GUMO, including nuclear material accounting, personnel reliability programs, radiological monitoring, maintenance interval compliance, and emergency response procedures coordinated with regional military and civil authorities. Publicly accessible documents do not disclose incident histories or audit findings for the listed units.
Recent Operational Context
Since 2022, heavy bomber sorties launching long-range conventional cruise missiles have been reported from Engels (Saratov Oblast) and Olenya (Murmansk Oblast). Ukrainian long-range drone attacks have struck several Russian air bases, including Engels (December 2022) and Soltsy (August 2023). There is no verified public evidence that nuclear storage areas at these locations were involved or compromised, and official statements have not acknowledged any impact on nuclear munitions.
Assessment Summary
The units listed are consistent with the established structure of 12th GUMO-run aviation RTBs that provide storage and technical support for air-deliverable nuclear munitions. Apart from the named entries Vozdvizhenka-2 (military unit 23477) and Tver-9 (military unit 19089), authoritative public sources do not disclose detailed geolocation or capabilities for the specified unit numbers. Without access to classified materials, further specifics on site locations, capacities, and warhead inventories cannot be provided.