Photo. Arcgis
The Russian over-the-horizon radar being built in the Kaliningrad Oblast, 30 kilometres from the Polish border, is taking shape.
Russia began the construction of a new radar installation in the Kaliningrad Oblast in March 2023. It is an over-the-horizon (OTH) radar consisting of three antennas, each over 500 metres long, arranged in a star shape. Currently, progress on the work is visible thanks to satellite imagery from the Polish-Finnish space company ICEYE. The installation is being constructed near Gvardeysk, 37 km from the border with Poland.
Over-the-horizon radars are used for the early detection of aerial threats. Their range can reach up to 3,000 km, meaning that practically the entire territory of Europe will fall within the operational range of the new Russian early warning system. The facility is likely being built using the technology of modern Russian 29B6 Container (Kontener) designs. These radars consist of two components: a signal transmitter station and an antenna field, or receiving station, located at some distance from the transmitter. The investment is likely correlated with another project being built near the airbase in Chernyakhovsk. A circular antenna array with a diameter of over 1,600 metres has also been under construction there since March 2023. The full purpose of this facility is not yet known.
NEW SATELLITE IMAGERY: Russia is expanding a massive long-range radar and electronic-warfare network in Kaliningrad, on NATO’s eastern flank.
ICEYE satellite imagery published by Germany’s FAZ reveals three antenna arrays, each over 500 metres long, under construction near Gvardeysk.
The installation appears to form part of Russia’s 29B6 Container over-the-horizon radar system, designed to detect aircraft and missiles at distances of several thousand kilometres.
Lithuanian intelligence had already identified the multi-site radar project in its March 2026 threat assessment.
ICEYE also identifies more than 20 signals-intelligence and electronic-warfare sites across Kaliningrad.
The radar’s operational status remains unconfirmed.
The findings provide new visual evidence of Russia’s long-term military surveillance buildup around the Baltic Sea.
H/T @HelloMrBond for bringing this to my attention!
— Coffe Report (@CoffeReport) October 19, 2026
The Container radar operates in the high-frequency (HF) band, sending pulses that reflect off the ionosphere, thereby bypassing the curvature of the Earth.
This system is primarily used to detect ballistic missiles, as well as stealth aircraft—such as the F-35—and for general airspace monitoring. The Russians claim that this radar can track up to 10,000 aerial objects simultaneously. Russia currently possesses one fully operational Container radar, which was struck by Ukrainian drones in April 2024.