Pictures taken by commercial imaging firms Maxar and Planet Labs show construction vehicles breaking ground on ten new buildings totalling 250,000 square feet at a site called Sergiev Posad-6, northeast of Moscow.
In recent weeks, Russian officials have acknowledged that the scientists will use the labs to study deadly microbes, including Ebola, allegedly in a bid to strengthen the country’s defences against bioterrorism as well as future pandemics.
Michael Duitsman, an expert in Russian and Soviet missile technology and nuclear nonproliferation at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said: “This is where they weaponised smallpox. New technologies could supercharge the capabilities of a revived program.”
Andrew C Weber, a former top Pentagon official for nonproliferation, added: “The upgrades are consistent with this secure, top-secret military biological facility’s historic role in developing viral biological weapons.
“Putin has been brandishing nuclear weapons openly and in the press. But because they will never admit to having biological weapons, the way to signal is to talk about these facilities.
“The subtle hint there is, ‘Hey, we’ve got this capability. And don’t think we won’t use it.’”
Posting on X, former Ukrainian Government adviser Anton Gerashchenko said: “While Russia accused Ukraine numerous times of building “biolabs”, they have been doing it themselves.
“Satellite imagery captured signs that, when combined, indicate a high-containment biological facility being restored at Sergiev Posad-6: numerous rooftop air handling units, layouts consistent with partitioned labs, underground infrastructure, etc.
“The new campus has several hallmarks of a Russian high-security site that are consistent with the precautions taken at a BSL-4 facility (equipped to handle the most lethal and incurable kinds of viruses and bacteria).
“In recent weeks, Russian officials have publicly confirmed that the scientists will use the labs in an effort to strengthen the country’s defences against bioterrorism as well as future pandemics.”
Sergiev Posad-6, often called a “closed city,” is a highly restricted area in Russia, located close to the historical town of Sergiev Posad in Moscow Oblast.
The area is largely under the jurisdiction of the Russian Ministry of Defence. It is also associated with research and development in nuclear and defence technologies, particularly within the Russian Federal Nuclear Centre.
As with other “closed cities” in Russia, Sergiev Posad-6 is not accessible to the general public. Information about its specific operations and projects is scarce, often veiled in secrecy due to national security concerns.
While little is publicly known about day-to-day life in this area, it contributes to Russia’s broader strategic research initiatives and is aligned with other classified research facilities across the country.
