A large antenna array under construction in Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave will expand Moscow’s ability to monitor distant targets but does not pose an immediate threat, Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said.
“This is a facility that has been under construction for several years – a radar station, elements of which are being built in several locations in the exclave,” Šakalienė told BNS. “It is not intended for espionage, but to detect aircraft and missiles in airspace several thousand kilometres away.”
She added that while the site is strategically significant, it does not present a direct risk to Lithuania. “Construction is not yet complete, but once it is, Russia’s potential to monitor objects at a great distance will increase, of course,” she said.
Work on the project began in 2023. According to Tochnyi, a research platform cited by the German daily Bild, the site has grown from roadwork to an almost complete structure with excavation points for hundreds of antenna masts as of mid-2025.
Researchers said the complex is likely a military-grade antenna array designed for radio intelligence and communications. Such an installation could allow Russia to monitor NATO electronic communications across Eastern Europe and the Baltic region. Very Low Frequency (VLF) or Low Frequency (LF) capabilities could also enable communication with submarines in the Baltic Sea or the North Atlantic, they added.
Tochnyi said the facility could also support passive intelligence gathering.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
