Behind four layers of fences stand four concrete domes. Beneath these domes lies a maze of corridors leading to four missile silos. These silos, dug deep into the ground, once housed Soviet R-12 Dvina missiles—the same type central to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The R-12 Dvina missile, known in the West as the SS-4 Sandal, was a medium-range ballistic missile designed to carry thermonuclear warheads up to 2,500 km from the launch location. Depending on their readiness level, they could be prepared for launch in as little as 30 minutes. These missiles represented the core of the Soviet Union's ballistic threat to Western Europe during the Cold War. A total of 2,335 were produced, but all have been dismantled or destroyed since 1993 under the USA-Soviet START II disarmament treaty.
At least 13 compounds similar to the Plokštinė missile base once existed across the Baltics. For the Soviet Union, secrecy was paramount. To avoid detection, construction took place at night, carried out by small teams.
This secrecy was so successful for the Plokštinė compound that it remained unknown to the West for over 20 years. It wasn’t until 1978 that United States reconnaissance teams uncovered it using satellite imagery. By then, however, the missiles had already been moved four years earlier to other locations.
