Over 2 million leaked documents reveal Russia’s nuclear modernization

In what experts call a stunning lapse in Russian military secrecy, journalists from Danwatch and Der Spiegel accessed over two million documents revealing the large-scale modernization of Russia’s nuclear infrastructure.

The leaked files include construction blueprints for missile bases, detailed maps of underground tunnels, and security systems, some tied to Russia's newest nuclear weapon, the Avangard hypersonic glide vehicle.

“Absolutely incredible,” said Hans M. Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists. We haven’t seen anything like this in public since the 1970s.

The data, gathered from a Russian public procurement database, show a decade-long overhaul of the country’s strategic nuclear forces. Bases have been torn down and rebuilt, with new barracks, command centers, and even descriptions of soldiers’ exercise equipment and bathroom layouts.

“Material like this is the ultimate intelligence” said Philip Ingram, former British military intelligence officer. If you know how electricity flows or where cables run, you know where to strike, he added.

Despite a 2020 Russian law tightening control over military tenders, sensitive documents kept leaking as late as summer 2024. “That you were able to find this tells me that there has been a serious lapse in processes and procedures in Russia,” Ingram added.

Russia has not responded to requests for comment.

Norwegian defense expert Tom Røseth warns the leak could increase the vulnerability of bases. "It’s not that the information reduces the facilities’ value, but it does make them potentially more vulnerable," he said.

The documents also highlight Russia’s increasing reliance on nuclear weapons. According to Denmark’s intelligence service, Moscow sees them as vital now that its conventional forces are weakened by the war in Ukraine.

Notably, procurement documents show the frequent use of products from Western manufacturers, including cement, gypsum, adhesives, insulation, and soundproofing materials. Materials from the German company Knauf appear repeatedly, according to Der Spiegel.

Shift in security policy

“...There are still many who don’t fully recognize the situation Europe is in now, which is a fundamental shift in security policy,” said Røseth. 

People need to understand Russia isn’t just talking — it’s building. “Therefore it’s important to show that Russia has modernized its nuclear arsenal. They have, after all, threatened with nuclear weapons regularly during the Ukraine war. It has public relevance that Russia is capable – and it’s even more important because they have adjusted their nuclear doctrine and now have a lower threshold for the use of nuclear weapons,” he says.

Still, Kristensen cautions against panic, saying this is mostly replacing old Soviet systems. It doesn’t change the nuclear balance, but it must be monitored closely.

With arms-control treaties collapsing and inspections frozen since 2020, leaks like these offer rare insight. “It’s important to find out what the Russians are doing,” Kristensen said. “It’s important to understand what the intention of their strategic systems is.”