KGB COMINT COLLECTION STATIONS, USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84T00171R000300470001-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 18, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: October 1, 1983
• Content Type: REPORT

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basic imagery interpretation report
KGB COMINT Collection Stations,
USSR (S)
DEPLOYED COMMO/ELECT/RADAR FACILITIES
BE: VARIOUS
USSR
Z-12101/83
RCA-03/0002/83
OCTOBER 1983
Copy 3 3
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SECRET
MvnRnRN
USATC. Series 200, scale 1:200,000 (see reference page)
Balashov KGB Radcom Rcvr Sta
Balashov KGB Radcom Xmtr Sta
Barantsevo KGB Radcom Rcvr
Sta/Bnk/Hd
Xmtr sta not identified
Biryulevo KGB Radcom Rcvr Sta
Xmtr sta not identified
Dobroaleksandrovka KGB Radcom
Rcvr Sta
Dobroaleksandrovka KGB Radcom
Xmtr Sta
Dymovka KGB Radcom Rcvr/
Comsat Sta
Ternopolye KGB Radcom Xmtr Sta
Kaunas KGB Radcom Rcvr Sta
Kaunas KGB Radcom Xmtr Sta
Khabarovsk KGB Radcom Rcvr Sta
Xmtr sta not identified
Krasnoye Selo KGB Radcom Rcvr Sta
Xmtr sta not identified
Rustavi KGB Radcom Rcvr Sta
Rustavi KGB Radcom Xmtr Sta
Saryagach KGB Radcom Rcvr Sta
Seytaryk KGB Radcom Xmtr Sta
Shkotovo KGB Radcom Rcvr Sta
Shkotovo KGB Radcom Xmtr Sta
ABSTRACT
1. Eleven Soviet high-frequency (HF) receiver stations are used by the KGB as communications
intelligence (COMINT) intercept sites to monitor foreign communications. The 11 receiver stations form a
collection network in the USSR, which is generally linked by HF transmitter stations, although only seven
transmitters have been identified. (S/WN)
2. This report updates and describes changes observed at ten of the 25X1
receiver stations and two of the transmitter stations from (the cutoff date of the 25X1
previous NPIC report) through Also included in this report are a location map and 12 25X1
annotated photographs. (S/WN)
WNINTEL
Z-12101/83
Geographic
Coordinates
51-28-32N 043-29-07E
51-28-48N 043-01-05E
55-03-48N 037-39-38E
55-35-19N 037-42-41E
46-19-54N 030-32-15E
46-20-16N 030-35-03E
49-35-33N 023-58-19E
49-37-42N 023-57-10E
54-45-34N 023-56-35E
54-49-18N 023-52-21 E
48-28-11N 135-15-28E
41-30-32N 045-07-43E
41-33-06N 045-07-55E
41-28-03 N 069-11-14E
41-30-07N 069-08-50E
43-20-25N 132-21-09E
43-17-20N 132-21-20E
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SECRET
Category BE No. COMIREX NIETB
No (MRN) No
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FIGURE 1. LOCATIONS OF KGB COMINT COLLECTION STATIONS, USSR
INTRODUCTION
3. Eleven HF receiver stations in the Soviet Union with similar photo ra hic signatures have been
identified on imagery as KGB COMINT collection stations (Figure 1).
25X1 a
25X1
4. Since December 1978, construction of new or enlargement of operations buildings, construction
of new antennas, and antenna reorientations have occurred at the following ten receiver stations and two
transmitter stations:
- Balashov KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station,
- Barantsevo KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station/Bnk/Hd,
- Biryulevo KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station,
- Dobroaleksandrovka KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station,
- Dymovka KGB Radio Communications Receiver/Communications Satellite Station,
- Ternopolye KGB Radio Communications Transmitter Station,
- Kaunas KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station,
- Khabarovsk KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station,
- Krasnoye Selo KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station,
- Rustavi KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station,
- Rustavi KGB Radio Communications Transmitter Station and
- Saryagach KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station.
The construction or reorientation of antennas indicates new out-of-country targets or different areas of
out-of-country interest. Replacement of rhombic antennas with fishbone antennas at some stations sug-
gests more precise communications intercept requirements, and new deployment of communications
satellite antennas indicates that the KGB continues to expand its capability to monitor satellite communi-
cations. (S/WN)
5. Changes occuring at these 12 stations since December 1978, especially the construction of new or
enlargement of operations buildings, are discussed in this report and are shown on 12 annotated photo-
graphs. The item number of each antenna that has been removed is the same item number as was used in
previous NPIC reports, New antennas listed on the photographs are 25X1
numbered consecutively, beginning after the highest item number in the previous report.2 (S/WN)
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BASIC DESCRIPTION
Balashov
6. The Balashov KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station (Figure 2) is 14.5 nm southwest of
Balashov. The antenna field consists of 22 double rhombic antennas, 39 fishbone antennas, three qua-
drant antennas, and a 12-meter communications satellite antenna mounted on a circular control building.
A small personnel bunker is beside the cruciform control building. Since December 1978, the fenceline of
the control building has been extended outward and antennas 60 and 63 removed. In 1982, antenna 60
was reconstructed. An 18- by 30-meter addition to the control building is presently under construction.
(S/WN)
7. The support area is north of the antenna field and consists of four large multistory apartment
buildings, one multistory and seven single-story barracks, two messhalls, a heating plant, three vehicle
storage/maintenance buildings, a power substation, one school, two administration buildings, nine sup-
port buildings, and a separately secured area containing two large bunkers, a four-story administration
building, and two support buildings. (S/WN)
8. The Barantsevo KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station/Bnk/Hd (Figure 3) is 1 nm south-
east of Barantsevo and 37 nm south of Moscow. It consists of 47 fishbone antennas, five double rhombic
antennas, two quadrant antennas, two horizontal dipole antennas, one 12-meter communications satellite
antenna mounted atop a circular control building, a single TWIN DISH antenna, three masts, an H-shaped
control building with an attached 77- by 58-meter L-shaped addition, and two bunkers (one with a four-
story building and one with a one-story building constructed atop them). Since December 1978,2 two
fishbone antennas (items 16 and 49) have been dismantled and reconstructed; they still retain their
original azimuths of Four new fishbone antennas (items 55 through 58), two new
horizontal dipole antennas (items 59 and 60), and one single TWIN DISH antenna (item 61) have been
constructed. (S/WN)
9. The support area consists of 31 apartment buildings, two single-family quarters, four administra-
tion buildings, one school, three vehicle storage/maintenance buildings, ten drive-in probable ware-
houses, one gymnasium, two heating plants, one power station, and 24 support buildings. No transmitter
has been identified for the Barantsevo receiver. (S/WN)
Biryulevo
10. The Biryulevo KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station (Figure 4) is on the southern edge
of Moscow. The antenna field consists of 40 double rhombic antennas, three fishbone antennas, 14
horizontal dipole antennas, one mast, two control buildings, and one possible control building. A 7-
meter parabolic dish antenna, which had been on the ground in front of the T-shaped control building
since 1980, was erected in 1982 and has an elevation of F__~ and an azimuth of~~ No 2,25X1
other antenna changes have been observed. (S/WN)
11. The support area consists of 19 apartment buildings, two schools, three administration buildings,
one gymnasium, five vehicle storage/maintenance buildings, one heating plant, and 30 support buildings.
No transmitter has been identified for the Biryulevo receiver. (S/WN)
Dobroaleksandrovka
12. The Dobroaleksandrovka KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station (Figure 5) is 2 nm south-
west of Dobroaleksandrovka and approximately 10 nm southwest of Odessa. The antenna field consists of
26 double rhombic antennas, one single rhombic antenna, two horizontal dipole antennas, and two
fishbone antennas, along with one 25-meter, one 8-meter, one 12-meter, and one 7-meter MARS satellite
communications antennas. Since December 1978,2 one double rhombic antenna (item 14) has been
removed, two double rhombic antennas (items 3 and 13) have been reconstructed, a 7-meter MARS
mobile communications satellite dish antenna (item 34) has been installed, a 12-meter antenna (item 35) is
under construction, and a new fishbone antenna (item 36) has been constructed. Also, a 101- by 18-meter
multistory operations building, connected to the control building by a covered passage, was complete by
November 1980. (S/WN)
13. An auxiliary power building and five support buildings are in the secured operations area. The
support area consists of 17 apartments/barracks, eight single-family quarters, six administration buildings,
three vehicle storage/maintenance buildings, one gymnasium, one messhall, one school, one heating
plant, and a power station. No changes were observed at the Dobroaleksandrovka KGB Transmitter
Station. (S/WN)
Dymovka
14. The Dymovka KGB Radio Communications Receiver/Communications Satellite Station (Figure 6)
is 1.5 nm north of Dymovka and approximately 14 nm south of Lvov. The antenna field consists of 18
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double rhombic antennas, six fishbone antennas, three horizontal dipole antennas, one curtain array, and
two unidentified arrays. A rectangular control building with a 12-meter communications satellite antenna
is immediately west of the cruciform-shaped control building. Since December 1978,2 one rhombic
antenna (item 11) and one fishbone antenna (item 27) have been removed. One fishbone antenna (item
41) and two horizontal dipole antennas (items 42 and 43) have been constructed. A 103- by 19-meter
multistory operations building, connected to the control building by a covered passageway, was com-
plete by September 1980.(S/WN)
15. The support area contains 16 single-family quarters, 13 apartments/barracks, 18 support build-
ings, four vehicle storage/maintenance buildings, four administration buildings, two schools, one heating
plant, and one service or recreation building. (S/WN)
Ternopolye
16. The Ternopolye KGB Radio Communications Transmitter Station (Figure 7) is on the eastern
edge of Ternopolye. It is 3 nm north of and is the transmitter for the Dymovka receiver. The facility
consists of 11 rhombic antennas, nine horizontal dipole antennas, a control building, nine support
buildings, and a separately secured motor vehicle park. Since January 1976,1 two horizontal dipole anten-
nas (items 18 and 19) and one rhombic antenna (item 20) have been constructed. (S/WN)
17. The Kaunas KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station (Figure 8) is 8 nm south of Kaunas.
The antenna field consists of a separately secured cruciform control building; a 43- by 19-meter antenna
control building, which was complete by February 1981; and a 12-meter communications satellite antenna
mounted on a pedestal. Twenty rhombic antennas, 13 fishbone antennas, and two horizontal dipole
antennas are in the area outside of the buildings. Since December 1978,2 two rhombic antennas (items 8
and 24) have been removed. One fishbone antenna (item 44), one rhombic antenna (item 45), and one
12-meter dish antenna (item 47) have been constructed. The support area contains 16 apartment build-
ings, two schools, four administration buildings, one messhall, one heating plant, 15 single- or two-family
houses, five vehicle storage/maintenance buildings, and 41 support buildings. No changes were observed
at the Kaunas KGB Transmitter Station. (S/WN)
Khabarovsk
diameter dish antennas, always oriented towards zenith, mounted on the roof. Since December 19782,
two fishbone antennas (items 9 and 10) have been removed; the single TWIN DISH antenna (item 38) has
been moved to a new position in the vicinity of antenna 40; a new horizontal dipole antenna (item 41)
has been erected; and a new multistory operations building, connected to the cruciform control building
by a covered passageway, is in the final stages of construction. The support area contains 19 apartments/
barracks, six administration buildings, two messhalls, two schools, one gymnasium, six garages, one
heating plant, and one sewage treatment plant. No transmitter has been identified for the Khabarovsk
receiver. (S/WN)
on the southern side of the support area. This small control building has four probable
18. The Khabarovsk KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station (Figure 9) is 7 nm east of Khaba-
rovsk. The antenna field contains 21 double rhombic antennas, nine fishbone antennas, one quadrant
antenna, two horizontal dipole antennas, two masts, one 25-meter communications satellite antenna, a
single TWIN DISH antenna, two control buildings, and a control building with a 7-meter dish antenna.
Antennas 1 through 26 have feedlines that extend to the cruciform control building on the western side
of the support area, and antennas 27 through 36 have feedlines that extend to the small control building
Krasnoye Selo
19. The Krasnoye Selo KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station (Figure 10) is 2 nm west of
Krasnoye Selo and approximately 13 nm southwest of Leningrad. The antenna field consists of a secured,
T-shaped control building with three support buildings, 22 rhombic antennas, 13 fishbone antennas, and
three horizontal dipole antennas. Since January 1976,1 eight rhombic antennas (items 14 through 16, 19
through 21, 33 and 34) have been removed. Ten fishbone antennas (items 35 through 43, and 45), one
rhombic (item 44), and three horizontal dipole antennas (items 46 through 48) have been constructed.
(S/W)
20. The support area consists of ten apartments/barracks, six single-family quarters, two vehicle
storage/maintenance buildings, one messhall, one gymnasium, one school, five support buildings, and
two administration buildings. No transmitter has been identified for the Krasnoye Selo Receiver . (S/WN)
Rustavi
21. The Rustavi KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station (Figure 11) is 4.5 nm southwest of
Rustavi. The antenna field consists of 44 fishbone antennas, nine double rhombic antennas, and a single
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TWIN DISH antenna. Since December 1978,2 one fishbone antenna (item 39), one quadrant antenna (item
54), and two horizontal dipole antennas (items 56 and 57) have been removed. Three fishbone antennas
(items 59 through 61) and one single TWIN DISH antenna (item 62) have been constructed. (S/WN)
22. The support area contains 24 apartments/barracks, six administration buildings, three vehicle
storage/maintenance buildings, two schools, one heating plant, and 12 support buildings. (S/WN)
23. The Rustavi KGB Radio Communications Transmitter Station (Figure 12) is 4.5 nm northeast of
Rustavi and 3 nm north of the KGB receiving site. This secured facility consists of 12 double rhombic
antennas, five quadrant antennas, eight horizontal dipole antennas, one control building, two administra-
tion buildings, and five support buildings. Since January 1976,1 two rhombic antennas (items 9 and 10), six
horizontal dipole antennas (items 13 through 18), and three quadrant antennas (items 19 through 21) have
been removed. Eight horizontal dipole antennas (items 22 through 29), five quadrant antennas (items 30
through 34), and two rhombic antennas (items 35 and 36) have been constructed. (S/WN)
Saryagach
24. The Saryagach KGB Radio Communications Receiver Station (Figure 13) is 11.5 nm northeast of
Tashkent. The antenna field consists of eight double rhombic antennas, 24 fishbone antennas, one
quadrant antenna, two horizontal dipole antennas, one unidentified antenna array, one single TWIN
DISH antenna, and a secured cruciform control building with nine support buildings. Since December
1978,2 five rhombic antennas (items 1, 21, 31, 32, and 33) and three horizontal dipole antennas (items 40
through 42) have been removed. Three fishbone antennas (items 3, 4, and 20) and two horizontal dipole
antennas (items 43 and 44) have been reoriented. Six fishbone antennas (items 46 through 50 and 52), one
TWIN DISH antenna (item 51), and one rhombic antenna (item 53) have been constructed. The support
area contains 17 apartments/barracks, 11 support buildings, nine single-family quarters, three administra-
tion buildings, two vehicle/maintenance buildings, one gymnasium, one heating plant, one messhall,
and one school. (S/WN)
25. No changes were observed at Seytark KGB Radio Communications Transmitter Station, which is
the transmitter for Saryagach. (S/WN)
IMAGERY
All applicable satellite imagery acquired through was used in the preparation of this report. (S/WN)
MAPS AND CHARTS
U.S. Air Target Chart. Series 200, Sheets 0235-1, 0167-10, 0167-5, 0250-13, 0232-20, 0232-15, 0168-7, 0204-22, 0153-4,
0325-17, and 0328-17; scale 1:200,000 (UNCLASSIFIED)
RCA-03/0005/76, KGB COMINT Collection Stations, Apr 76
RCA-03/0004/78, KGB COMINT Collection Stations, Mar 79
*Extracted information is classified SECRET/WNINTEL.
REQUIREMENT
COMIREX C03
Project 543059C
Comments and queries regarding this report are welco
Strategic Forces Division, Imagery Exploitation Group, NPIC,
me. They may be directed to
25X1
25X1
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2A1
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Z-12101/83 SECRET RCA-0310002183
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