New Intelligence: Russia Sends Nuclear Submarine To Mediterranean

The Russian Navy’s build up of forces in the Black Sea as part of the invasion of Ukraine is well known. Less widely talked about is the related build up in the Mediterranean, seen as the outer defense for the Black Sea operations. Following Russian Doctrine, this may form part of a deterrence against NATO involvement in the war.

Now a nuclear submarine appears to have been added to the mix. Naval News has seen strong indications that a Russian attack submarine (SSN) or cruise missile submarine (SSGN) is operating near Italy.

It is unclear how long the submarine has been operating there. The most straightforward explanation is that it deployed there to replace the Slava class cruiser Marshal Ustinov which left the Mediterranean on August 24. While Ustinov is sailing provocatively between the United Kingdom and Ireland, the submarine may have slipped into the Med. In a sense, the cruiser is providing a distraction.

But NATO’s attention seems to have shifted to the submarine. And open source intelligence (OSINT) analysts also.

It is currently unknown what type of submarine it is. And that may never be known in public sources. We are confident that it is nuclear powered, that much can be deduced from  the circumstances. Russia has deployed nuclear powered submarines to the Mediterrean before, but not frequently. In the current context, it is related to the war in Ukraine. Recent Serbia-Kosovo tensions are also nearby.

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