In Belarus, a large new military base is under construction, covering over 2 km²—equivalent to 280 football fields, according to the Schemes project citing Planet Labs satellite images. Site preparation began in June 2024 near the village of Pavlovka, south of Minsk, and construction entered an active phase in 2025. In the western part, over 1 km² of forest was cleared, 13 ammunition storage facilities were built behind defensive walls, and three hangars 100 meters long were constructed. Foundations for various buildings were also laid and connected by a network of mostly paved roads.
The base is roughly divided into four sectors. New foundations on the northern site are likely for hangars; on the eastern side, there is a nearly 150-meter-long building frame and earth embankments.
The facility is being built on the site of the former Soviet military camp No. 25 Pavlovka, previously home to the Slutsk 306th Strategic Missile Regiment, equipped with R-12, Pioner, and Topol systems. After Belarus joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1993, part of the regiment was disbanded and the base abandoned. Belarusian authorities officially do not acknowledge the construction; the site is absent from cadastral maps and public documents.
Military analysts suggest the new base could host Russian nuclear weapons or the medium-range “Oreshnik” ballistic missile, which President Vladimir Putin promised to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
“In my view, these facilities are connected to strategic-level equipment… Whether ‘Oreshnik’ or something else. It could even be nuclear weapons, as this location may have had storage facilities during the Cold War,” said Polish military expert Konrad Muzyka.
Retired Finnish intelligence major Marko Eklund also noted that the layout resembles a strategic missile base.
“I can’t say what else it could be,” he stated, adding that the site is suitable for hosting the Oreshnik.
Satellite images also show another military construction near Gomel, less than 40 km from the Ukrainian border. Work began at the end of 2023 with tree clearing and land preparation; infrastructure is now actively being built. September 4 images show foundations for several buildings and numerous construction vehicles.
In government tenders and cadastral records, the site is listed as a “military town with a training-tactical field.” Belarusian media reported it will include a parade ground, barracks, and a 680-seat dining hall. Schemes journalists noted that the site’s size and infrastructure resemble existing Belarusian military bases, potentially accommodating a brigade of approximately 3,000 personnel.
