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Hindustan Times
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Russia's Rybachiy submarine base suffers damage after massive quake last week: Report
A massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula last week appears to have damaged part of a key nuclear submarine base, the New York Times reported, citing the before and after satellite images. Russia's Rybachiy nuclear submarine base lies near the epicentre of the 8.8 magnitude Kamchatka quake, raising concerns about its resilience.(File Photo/AP) The Rybachiy submarine base used by Russia's Pacific Fleet is located on the remote Far East coast of Russia, merely 80 miles (about 120 kilometres) away from the epicentre of the July 30 earthquake. The satellite imagery of the nuclear submarine base showed visible damage to one of its floating piers, The New York Times reported citing commercial satellite photos taken by Planet Labs. The imagery showed that one segment of the pier appears to have detached from its anchor point. From the satellite perspective, the structure looks disjointed, with visible misalignment compared to its earlier state. However, the rest of the facility, including five submarines and several other vessels, appeared undamaged and securely moored. According to the NYT, international nuclear monitoring agencies reported normal radiation levels in the vicinity. Hindustan Times could not independently verify the authenticity of the claim in the report. By the time this report was filed, Russian authorities had not officially confirmed the damage. Base located close to epicentre The Rybachiy base, built during the Soviet era, is a strategically important site for Russia's naval operations in the Pacific. It has been the subject of recent military upgrades, including the installation of two new floating piers since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Earlier, The Metro reported that the base's proximity to the epicentre has alarmed military analysts and sparked questions about the facility's long-term resilience to extreme seismic events. Russia quake aftermath Despite the earthquake's powerful 8.8 magnitude, no fatalities or major injuries were reported in the Kamchatka Peninsula. The nearby city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, which shares a bay with the Rybachiy submarine base, sustained only minor damage. Tsunami warnings were sounded across the Pacific, including in French Polynesia and Chile, but the waves remained offshore and did not reach the city centre. The surrounding Kamchatka region also saw volcanic activity and multiple aftershocks in the days following the quake with a magnitude 5.0 earthquake hitting approximately 108 kilometres southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy on Tuesday. The Rybachiy base is believed to host some of Russia's most powerful nuclear-powered submarines, including the Alexander Nevsky, Vladimir Monomakh, and K-44 Ryazan. Access to the base and the surrounding town of Rybachiy is tightly restricted due to its strategic importance.
Metro
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Mystery around state of Russian submarine base close to megaquake epicentre
Mystery is mounting over the state of one of Russia's most strategically significant military sites after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake in the 'Ring of Fire'. The Rybachiy nuclear submarine base – home to Vladimir Putin's deadliest military vessels – is located 75 miles from the epicentre of the strongest seismic event in the Far East since 1952. This proximity – and the secrecy around it – has raised immediate global concerns. The site is the backbone of his Pacific Fleet, hosting the 'Alexander Nevsky' and 'Vladimir Monomakh' submarines, each armed with 16 Bulava missiles, and the nuclear-powered K-44 Ryazan submarine. No other base in eastern Russia is believed to have equivalent capabilities, so its state is closely guarded by the Kremlin. If the earthquake or resulting tsunami caused any structural damage to the facility – especially to nuclear reactors – the consequences could be severe. In a worst-case scenario, a failure at Rybachiy could lead to uncontrolled radiation leaks, accidental missile launches, or total loss of containment over nuclear assets. Beyond environmental risks, even the perception of instability at a strategic nuclear site could heighten geopolitical tensions. Any disruption to the base's command systems or security protocols may be seen by other nations as a potential vulnerability, prompting increased military alert levels. The Russian Ministry of Defence has so far not issued a public statement about the operational status of Rybachiy or any submarines. Authorities in the Kamchatka Peninsula have generally downplayed the impact from the earthquake and ensuing tsunami waves that reached as high as 13 feet. More Trending So far there have been no reports of fatalities or serious injuries, and the threat to a tsunami has been removed. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video As many as 50 aftershocks followed the initial earthquake, with Russian seismologists warning that tremors could persist for at least a month, with renewed tsunami threats not ruled out. It comes as a 4.8-magnitude earthquake was detected 86 miles south of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky early this morning. Footage circulating on Telegram shows floods of water hitting Kamchatka, sweeping away buildings and damaging port infrastructure. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: I've studied tsunamis for 25 years – here are the deadly warning signs one is on its way MORE: Tsunami warnings still in place after 8.8 magnitude Russian earthquake MORE: Whales eerily become beached hours before earthquake – do they predict them?
