Navy Nuclear Weapons Storage Bases
Scope and Terminology
The items listed pertain to Russian Navy nuclear weapons storage and support infrastructure, commonly designated as Repair-Technical Bases (RTB; Russian: remontno-tekhnicheskaya baza) and related depots for sea-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) warheads. This analysis summarizes publicly available, verifiable facts about roles, command relationships, and broadly known sites, and identifies where details are not publicly released.
Command Authority and Custody
All nuclear warheads in the Russian Federation are under the custody and security of the Ministry of Defence’s 12th Main Directorate (12th GUMO). 12th GUMO is responsible for storage, technical maintenance, transport, physical protection, and issue/receipt procedures across the strategic and non-strategic stockpile, including naval munitions. Naval RTBs and central depots supporting the fleets are staffed and secured by 12th GUMO personnel and dedicated security units; operational naval units do not hold independent custody of warheads in peacetime.
Policy Context and Deployment Practices since 1991
Following the 1991–1992 Presidential Nuclear Initiatives (PNIs), the USSR/Russian Navy withdrew non-strategic nuclear warheads from surface ships, attack submarines, and naval aviation and placed them in shore storage; SLBM warheads for ballistic-missile submarines remained in shore custody and are mated during authorized loading operations. These practices remain consistent in open-source descriptions. The NPT recognizes Russia as a nuclear-weapon state; New START covers deployed strategic launchers and warheads but does not regulate non-strategic naval warheads or storage sites.
Infrastructure Typology and Functions
Naval nuclear infrastructure comprises: (1) central storage depots that hold stocks under 12th GUMO control; (2) Repair-Technical Bases (RTBs) that perform storage, inspection, limited assembly/disassembly, and pre-issue technical checks; and (3) specialized SLBM loading piers and facilities at SSBN homeports. Facilities typically include earth-covered bunkers, service buildings, and rail/road access for secure transport. Specific layouts, security systems, capacities, and operating procedures are classified and are not publicly released.
Northern Fleet: Nuclear Support Infrastructure Overview
The Northern Fleet’s SSBN force is based primarily at Gadzhiyevo (Yagelnaya Guba), Murmansk Oblast, operating Project 667BDRM (Delta IV) submarines with R-29RMU Sineva/Liner SLBMs and Borei/Borei-A (Project 955/955A) submarines with R-30 Bulava SLBMs. A major 12th GUMO storage complex commonly known in open sources as Object “S” near Olenegorsk-2 in Murmansk Oblast is widely cited as a central Northern Fleet nuclear warhead depot. Details of internal unit numbering, inventories, and site configuration are not publicly disclosed.
Pacific Fleet: Nuclear Support Infrastructure Overview
The Pacific Fleet’s SSBN force is based at Vilyuchinsk (Rybachiy), Kamchatka Krai, operating Borei-class submarines with R-30 Bulava SLBMs; legacy Project 667BDR (Delta III) SSBNs have been retired. Open sources also reference a 12th GUMO naval storage presence in Primorsky Krai historically associated with the closed administrative area known as Shkotovo-22 (now within the Fokino area). As with Northern Fleet infrastructure, specific unit designations, capacities, and internal layouts are not officially public.
Assessment of Listed Entities (Open-Source Attribution)
The following entries appear in open-source discussions of naval nuclear infrastructure; where authoritative confirmation is lacking, this is noted: 1) 956th Object “S” (Olenegorsk-2): widely cited as a 12th GUMO Northern Fleet warhead storage complex; detailed attributes remain classified. 2) Military unit 62834: no authoritative, public confirmation linking this unit to Object “S” or a specific naval RTB. 3) Military unit 01154: no publicly verifiable attribution to a Navy RTB or depot. 4) n/a Repair-Technical Base (Shkotovo-22): “Shkotovo-22” refers to a closed area in Primorsky Krai associated with Pacific Fleet support; specific RTB numbering is not officially published. 5) Military unit 81388: no authoritative open-source confirmation of role or location as a naval RTB. 6) n/a Repair-Technical Base (unspecified): insufficient public data to attribute. 7) Military unit 22931: no publicly confirmed linkage to a naval RTB. 8) Special High Security SLBM Depot; military unit 26942: no authoritative public confirmation of this unit designation or depot details. 9) 130th Repair-Technical Base; military unit 69273: some open-source compilations attribute this unit number to the 130th RTB, but official confirmation and particulars are not publicly released. 10) Military unit 39092 (SLBM loading facility): no publicly verified documentation confirming this unit number or its association with a specific loading site.
Transport and Loading (Non-sensitive Summary)
Warheads are transported under 12th GUMO custody via secure rail and road convoys to RTBs and designated loading areas. SLBM loading is conducted at specialized piers equipped for missile handling; such operations involve strict technical controls, authorization procedures, and safety measures. Specific schedules, routing, physical security systems, and handling procedures are classified and are not publicly disclosed.
Information Gaps and Confidence Assessment
Russian official sources do not publish comprehensive lists of naval RTBs, unit numbers, or site schematics. Many designations and attributions circulating in open sources derive from historical accounts, declassified Cold War materials, or OSINT inference and may be incomplete or outdated. Where this analysis notes “no authoritative public confirmation,” it reflects the absence of verifiable, official documentation as of 2024.