16:51 02-10-2025

New Russian Radar Near Kaliningrad Alarms NATO Plans

Russia’s new radar near Kaliningrad boosts early warning capabilities, detects missile launches, and challenges NATO’s ability to plan a surprise strike.

The construction of a powerful new Russian radar station near Kaliningrad could seriously complicate NATO’s ability to launch a surprise strike against Russia. This assessment comes from Yury Knutov, a military analyst and historian specializing in air defense forces.

According to Knutov, the facility is designed to detect long-range missiles — the same class of weapons frequently mentioned in discussions about potential U.S. arms deliveries to Ukraine. He suggested that the radar is likely part of Russia’s early warning network for missile attacks, a system deployed along the country’s perimeter to provide rapid alerts on ballistic launches of various types.

Placing the installation near Kaliningrad, he explained, allows Moscow to extend its radar coverage deep into Western airspace, significantly improving its ability to track threats in advance. Such capabilities, he noted, are causing unease among NATO planners, as any attempt to conduct a preemptive or sudden strike against Russia would now be detected early.

Knutov emphasized that the new radar will give Russia a critical advantage in spotting launches of submarine-based missiles and cruise missiles — threats that are traditionally harder to detect. He stressed that building such a facility fully aligns with Russia’s national security priorities.

Existing early warning systems across the country, he added, are already performing effectively. Together, they form a layered detection network capable of shielding Russia from concealed or rapid missile attacks.

The analyst also cautioned that Ukrainian forces or Western countries might attempt to damage the new radar using unmanned aerial vehicles. He recalled that similar provocative strikes have previously targeted Russian strategic infrastructure.

While Knutov considered direct countermeasures from NATO unlikely, he acknowledged that drone attacks on such a facility remain a real possibility.

Reports about the radar’s construction near Kaliningrad have already sparked concern within NATO, highlighting the station’s potential to shift the strategic balance in the region.