Russia completes huge radar near Gvardeysk that could watch almost all of Europe

Russia is finishing construction of a vast over-the-horizon radar in the Kaliningrad exclave that, according to security experts, could monitor much of Europe and all of Ukraine.

Location, size and reach

The complex, sited near the town of Gvardeysk, is built with three radiating “arms” each more than 500 metres long. Seen from satellite images, the installation dominates a previously forested area and resembles a large sensor platform. Analysts estimate the radar’s range at roughly 3,000 kilometres, allowing Moscow to observe wide swathes of the continent.

Experts say the system is intended to detect and intercept electronic signals, monitor aircraft movements, pick up ballistic missile launches and even capture some satellite communications. "The purpose of this radar is to monitor distant targets and to serve as an early-warning system. We still do not know whether it is already operationally ready for that, but it is certainly under construction," Vaidotas Malinionis said.

Malinionis added that the installation could also "be used during attacks to gather more information on specific targets," a capability that would give Russian commanders extra time to assess movements on NATO’s eastern flank.

Other satellite images reportedly show an additional large circular antenna complex about 50 kilometres west of Gvardeysk, near Chernyakhovsk, and more than 20 sites across the Kaliningrad region linked to telecommunications and electronic warfare. Photographs also reveal new shelters at the Kaliningrad–Chkalovsk air base and what appear to be launch platforms and a deployment location for S-400 surface-to-air systems in Baltiysk that may already be operational.

The build-up around Kaliningrad, a small Russian territory on the Baltic Sea surrounded by NATO members Poland and Lithuania, has a strategic impact far beyond its modest geographic dimensions. "According to some sources, they have the capacity to deploy up to 100 nuclear warheads in Kaliningrad. And according to other sources, they have already begun to deploy some of them there, but this remains unconfirmed," a retired colonel told analysts.

Latvian geopolitical analyst Evija Dzatkovica warned that reviving and modernising older Soviet-era sensor concepts harms NATO’s ability to detect low-flying objects and drones. "It will help Russia fill gaps in the detection of low-flying objects. As a result, the increasing use of drones in regional defence strategies will become less effective," she said. "The new radar is a sign that the rivalry between Russia and NATO for military superiority and control over the Kaliningrad region is intensifying," Dzatkovica added. "The situation is potentially dangerous, because further militarization from both sides can be expected. At some point a preemptive strike could become an option to prevent the other side from gaining an unacceptable advantage in the region," she warned.

At the same time, Dzatkovica noted the radar’s very range makes much of northern and western Europe more exposed to Russian surveillance: "Given the radar's long reach, other European regions, including those to the north and west, will increasingly be exposed to Russian surveillance and military activity." She said those moves should prompt the West to strengthen its capabilities: "Threatening signals from Russia should prompt the West to continue strengthening its military capabilities. That, in turn, would make NATO's and Europe's collective deterrence more credible."

Some Western firms are responding with new sensors and satellites. Finnish–Polish and German defence suppliers are working on radar-equipped SAR satellites to track troop movements; the first of those SAR satellites are scheduled for launch on a SpaceX rocket in early 2027.

Malinionis also pointed to a vulnerability: "The new Russian radar installation also has one drawback. Because it is huge, it is also a fairly easy target." The construction progress was reported on November 3, 2026, and Russian officials have not publicly confirmed the project.

Photo: press material from the event