Mystery surrounds state of Russian nuclear sub base after major earthquake
Questions are mounting over the state of a Russian nuclear base located alarmingly close to the epicentre of an 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the far east on Wednesday.
The quake rocked Russia 's Kamchatka Peninsula - just 75 miles from a cluster of key Russian naval bases known to store Borei and Delta-class ballistic missile submarines. It comes after Putin warns of nuclear war after unleashing another night of hell on Ukraine
Questions are now swirling about any damage that the Rybachiy submarine base may have suffered, although Russian authorities insist the situation is under control. Wednesday's earthquake is tied for the sixth strongest in history, according to data from the US Geological Survey.
It sent tsunami waves into Japan, Hawaii and the US West Coast, with waves of up to four metres high recorded in Kamchatka - and "a descent of burning hot lava" sent flowing down the Klyuchevskoy volcano, which erupted just hours after the quake hit.
Posting to X, one retired Russian Navy officer suggested the nuclear base in Russia's far east would have been built to endure such force. Capt_Navy wrote: "I have no information that critical damage to the Russian Navy's naval bases in Kamchatka. I think everything is within the normal range. These bases were designed and built with the possibility of a nuclear attack by the enemy in mind."
The submarine base is known to house most of Russia's modern Borei and Borei-A class nuclear ballistic missile submarines, as well as the older Delta III-class Ryazan (K-44).
While there has been no reports of destruction at the site, several buildings in Kamchatka suffered extensive damage as a result of the earthquake, which also saw ports and roads ripped apart. In Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, another key naval hub, a kindergarten collapsed and several people were injured, Russian officials said.
Oleg Melnikov, the regional health minister, explained: "Unfortunately, there are some people injured during the seismic event. Some were hurt while running outside, and one patient jumped out of a window. A woman was also injured inside the new airport terminal."
Yesterday, the Foreign Office updated its travel guidance for 15 countries, warning Brits in affected regions to evacuate and relocate to higher ground. "If you are in the affected areas potentially affected by the earthquake or tsunami you should follow the advice of the local authorities," it added.
Russian authorities have declared the tsunami threat to be over, but have warned about the risks still posed by aftershocks.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
White House ‘considering inviting Zelensky to Alaska Summit with Trump & Putin' as Europe pushes for ‘alternative plan'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE White House is said to be considering inviting Volodymyr Zelensky to attend Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin's Alaska summit. Trump and Putin are set to hold crunch talks over ending the war in Ukraine on Friday with sources close to the US President saying they are "very hopeful" that Ukraine's leader will be included. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 5 The White House is said to be considering inviting Volodymyr Zelensky to attend Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin's Alaska summit Credit: AFP 5 Russia is continuing to attack Ukraine, including air attacks on Kyiv, as the world pushes for an end to the conflict Credit: AFP 5 Trump and Putin will meet on US soil on Friday to discuss the end of the Ukraine war Credit: AFP 5 One senior administration official told NBC News that a trilateral meeting remains "absolutely" possible. Another official briefed on White House conversations said: "It's being discussed." It is believed that no official invite has been talked about with Kyiv as of yet. A senior White House official explained: "Right now, the White House is focusing on planning the bilateral meeting requested by President Putin." Zelensky has already been adamant that he must be involved in any peace talks as they directly impact on the future of his country. Speaking overnight, the brave leader said any pact struck without Kyiv's involvement would be "stillborn decisions against peace" and would fail before they even began. "Any decisions that are against us, any decisions that are without Ukraine, are at the same time decisions against peace," he said. "They will not achieve anything." His powerful stance has now been echoed by European leaders. Sir Keir Starmer and the leaders of France, Italy, Poland, Finland and the EU all issued a stark warning saying there can be no peace without Ukraine. Putin's fake grandeur WON'T win Ukraine war - here's 5 things that will end it A strongly-worded statement read: "We share the conviction that a diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine's and Europe's vital security interests. "The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. "We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force. "The current line of contact should be the starting point of negotiations. "We are united as Europeans and determined to jointly promote our interests." European officials have also put forward an alternative proposal to help end the war, according to The Wall Street Journal. It comes after reports suggested Washington and Moscow are eyeing a territorial "swap" agreement to end the war. This would see both side concede to losing out ground to each other - a move which Russia would likely view as a triumph. Zelensky is adamant that he will never allow for any territory to be claimed by Moscow due to the illegal conflict. A potential three-way meeting with Zelensky, Trump and Putin would mark the first time the two war leaders have spoken since the conflict. Zelensky has constantly asked to sit down with Putin in person in the past so he can remind the despot of his atrocities to his face. But Putin has signalled reluctance on meeting Zelensky directly. He recently said: "I have nothing against it in general… But certain conditions must be created for this. "But unfortunately, we are still far from creating such conditions." The US president also dismissed claims that next week's historic summit hinges on a three-way meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky. Asked if Putin needed to meet Zelensky in order to meet him, Trump clarified: "No, he doesn't." Despite that, the White House is preparing for the possible bilateral or trilateral summit. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed: "The White House is working through the details of these potential meetings… details will be provided at the appropriate time."
ITV News
an hour ago
- ITV News
Europe stresses Ukraine support ahead of Trump-Putin summit
The path to peace in Ukraine 'cannot be decided without Ukraine', European leaders have said, as US President Donald Trump prepares to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks on Friday. In a joint statement, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, with the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and the European Commission, said that the current line of contact between Russia and Ukraine could only be a 'starting point of negotiations'. They said: 'Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities. 'The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. 'We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force.' The statement comes a day after Mr Trump announced that he would meet Mr Putin in Alaska on Friday, as he seeks an end to a conflict he had promised he could finish on his first day in office. The US president had earlier suggested that any peace deal was likely to involve 'some swapping of territories', with reports suggesting this could involve Ukraine giving up its Donetsk region. But President Volodymyr Zelensky has already rejected any proposal that would compromise Ukraine's territorial integrity, something that is forbidden by Ukraine's constitution. He said Mr Putin wanted to 'exchange a pause in the war, in the killing, for the legalisation of the occupation of our land – he wants to get territorial spoils for the second time'. Mr Zelensky added: 'We will not allow this second attempt to partition Ukraine. Knowing Russia, where there is a second, there will be a third.' He also said that any peace agreement that excluded Ukraine would be a decision 'against peace'. In their statement, the European leaders said they welcomed Mr Trump's 'work to stop the killing in Ukraine, end the Russian Federation's war of aggression and achieve just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine'. Adding that they were 'ready to support this work diplomatically' and through military and financial support for Kyiv, they reiterated the need for 'robust and credible security guarantees' for Ukraine and their own 'unwavering support' for the country. The statement also comes after Foreign Secretary David Lammy hosted a meeting of top Ukrainian officials and European national security advisers alongside US vice-president JD Vance on Saturday. The meeting took place at the Foreign Secretary's official country retreat, Chevening, in Kent, where Mr Vance is staying at the start of a UK holiday. After the meeting, Mr Lammy said: 'The UK's support for Ukraine remains ironclad as we continue working towards a just and lasting peace.' It is understood that the meeting had been called at Washington's request, and included representatives from the US, Ukraine, France, Germany, Italy, Finland and Poland as well as the UK. Ukraine was represented by Rustem Umerov, secretary of the country's national security and defence council, and the head of Mr Zelensky's office, Andriy Yermak. In a post on social media, Mr Yermak said the allies' positions were 'clear' that 'a reliable, lasting peace is only possible with Ukraine at the negotiating table, with full respect for our sovereignty and without recognising the occupation'. Ahead of the meeting at Chevening, Sir Keir discussed the talks in a call with Mr Zelensky on Saturday, and also spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron.
The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Europe stresses Ukraine support ahead of Trump-Putin summit
They said: 'Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities. 'The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. The path to peace for Ukraine must be determined together with Ukraine – this is fundamental. It is important that joint approaches and a shared vision work toward genuine peace. A consolidated position. Ceasefire. End of occupation. End of war. — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 9, 2025 'We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force.' The statement comes a day after Mr Trump announced that he would meet Mr Putin in Alaska on Friday, as he seeks an end to a conflict he had promised he could finish on his first day in office. The US president had earlier suggested that any peace deal was likely to involve 'some swapping of territories', with reports suggesting this could involve Ukraine giving up its Donetsk region. But President Volodymyr Zelensky has already rejected any proposal that would compromise Ukraine's territorial integrity, something that is forbidden by Ukraine's constitution. He said Mr Putin wanted to 'exchange a pause in the war, in the killing, for the legalisation of the occupation of our land – he wants to get territorial spoils for the second time'. Mr Zelensky added: 'We will not allow this second attempt to partition Ukraine. Knowing Russia, where there is a second, there will be a third.' He also said that any peace agreement that excluded Ukraine would be a decision 'against peace'. In their statement, the European leaders said they welcomed Mr Trump's 'work to stop the killing in Ukraine, end the Russian Federation's war of aggression and achieve just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine'. Adding that they were 'ready to support this work diplomatically' and through military and financial support for Kyiv, they reiterated the need for 'robust and credible security guarantees' for Ukraine and their own 'unwavering support' for the country. The statement also comes after Foreign Secretary David Lammy hosted a meeting of top Ukrainian officials and European national security advisers alongside US vice-president JD Vance on Saturday. Saturday's meeting of national security advisers was co-hosted by US vice-president JD Vance (Suzanne Plunkett/PA) The meeting took place at the Foreign Secretary's official country retreat, Chevening, in Kent, where Mr Vance is staying at the start of a UK holiday. After the meeting, Mr Lammy said: 'The UK's support for Ukraine remains ironclad as we continue working towards a just and lasting peace.' It is understood that the meeting had been called at Washington's request, and included representatives from the US, Ukraine, France, Germany, Italy, Finland and Poland as well as the UK. Ukraine was represented by Rustem Umerov, secretary of the country's national security and defence council, and the head of Mr Zelensky's office, Andriy Yermak. In a post on social media, Mr Yermak said the allies' positions were 'clear' that 'a reliable, lasting peace is only possible with Ukraine at the negotiating table, with full respect for our sovereignty and without recognising the occupation'. Ahead of the meeting at Chevening, Sir Keir discussed the talks in a call with Mr Zelensky on Saturday, and also spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron. Meanwhile, the conflict continues, with Ukrainian authorities reporting four people killed and 16 wounded in Russian drone strikes on Saturday in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
