Putin Emphasizes Urgency in Strengthening Russias Nuclear Submarine Capabilities

Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized the importance of expanding Russia’s submarine fleet as essential for the country’s sovereignty and security, as reported by the state-controlled TASS news agency on Thursday.

During a meeting in Severodvinsk, located in the Arkhangelsk region of northern Russia, Putin stated, “The submarine forces of the Navy are vital for safeguarding Russia’s sovereignty and security, as well as protecting its interests and contributing significantly to both regional and global stability.”

He highlighted that in the past six years, the Russian Navy has acquired five Borei-A class strategic missile submarines and four Yasen-M class multipurpose submarines.

Looking to the future, Putin indicated that the Navy is expected to receive four additional nuclear-capable Borei-class submarines in the next few years.

“Currently, two of these submarines are under construction,” he specified. “These next-generation strategic submarines are equipped with Bulava ballistic missiles,” he added, referring to a submarine-launched missile that was first deployed in 2019.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the Russian fleet presently has 12 submarines capable of carrying nuclear weapons, which are outfitted with 192 missiles.

In comparison, SIPRI’s data reveals that the U.S. Navy operates 14 strategic submarines, equipped with 280 missiles.