A Russian submarine was forced to abandon testing nuclear torpedoes in the Arctic Sea this week following reports of a technical error (Picture: Russian Ministry of Defence)
Russia was forced to abandon a nuclear-powered torpedo test from one of its submarines in recent weeks, a US intelligence source has confirmed.
A number of Russian naval vessels were spotted making preparations to carry out a trial in the Arctic Sea earlier this month, before suddenly leaving.
It is believed the crew may have encountered a technical error which forced them to abandon their training exercise and return to port.
Among the naval ships was the Russian sub Belgorod – the world’s largest nuclear-powered submarine – which is said to be equipped with eight Poseidon ‘doomsday’ missiles.
But following the setback Russia now has a limited window in which to test the torpedoes before the waters in the area begin to freeze over for the winter.
‘This can be seen as part of the bigger picture and Russia’s recent military practice, sending ill-trained and under-equipped troops to Ukraine,’ a US official told CNN.
‘Russia’s military industry is going through difficult times, and we can also see that Western sanctions on high-tech military goods are having an effect and must continue.’
Allegedly in development since before the fall of the Soviet Union, the 604ft, 30,000 tonne nuclear-powered submarine was publicly announced in 2015 and was first deployed last year amid threats to sink British and US warships in the Black Sea.
The K-329 Belgorod is the largest nuclear submarine in the world and has been in development since before the fall of the Soviet Union (Picture: East2West)
The sub is equipped with a number of ‘doomsday’ torpedoes which could trigger radioactive tsunamis if deployed (Picture: Shutterstock)
The Belgorod is said to be capable of triggering radioactive tsunamis which could wipe out entire coastlines using the nuclear torpedoes, which are remote-controlled and assisted by artificial intelligence.
The torpedoes have been likened to drones because they can be controlled remotely to bypass defences.Â
They also have a theoretically unlimited range, thanks to its nuclear reactor engine.
The US does not believe any test of the weapons would have involved detonating a nuclear device, but their deployment would have further inflamed tensions with the West even further following Putin’s repeated threats to deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine if it faces an ‘existential threat’.
Although Putin has since tried to downplay these statements, insisting as recently as last month that he has no need for using nuclear weapons as ‘there is no point in that, either political or military’, other Russian officials remain bullish about their deployment.
Earlier this year, notorious Kremlin propagandist Dmitry Kiselyov threatened to ‘sink Britain once and for all’ with a nuclear tsunami strike following comments made by Liz Truss when she was foreign secretary.
Mr Kiselyov also claimed Moscow would ‘turn the United States into radioactive ash’ during a segment on Russian state TV.
Putin himself also claimed his government would consider a nuclear strike if the Ukrainian military threatened to retake the four regions illegally-annexed by Russia in eastern Ukraine, but these threats have once again failed to materialise following the liberation of Kherson earlier this week.
Yet following the collapse of the Russian military across the frontlines in Ukraine, Nato members fear the Belgorod could soon become a realistic option as Moscow runs out of options to help it turn the tide of the war.
In yet another sinister development, the submarine’s commanders are said to report directly to Putin rather than to the country’s naval top brass, making the Belgorod’s true objectives even harder to ascertain.Â
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The Russian submarine Belgorod was forced to abandon nuclear tests in the Arctic Sea following an alleged technical error.Â
