Anna Hartz
Did Russia’s Secret Nuke Base Take a Hit?
Earthquakes are not unusual in the Pacific Ring of Fire. This region sees frequent seismic activity because of the way tectonic plates move.
But sometimes, a quake is strong enough to cause international concern. That’s what happened this week in Russia.
A massive earthquake struck off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. It measured 8.8 in magnitude.
The epicenter was about 150 kilometers southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, writes WP. After the quake, tsunami waves as high as four meters hit parts of the coast.
Possible Damage to Russian Military Sites
Russian authorities reported damage in several towns and cities. They did not release many details.
However, Ukrainian media outlets claim there may be damage the Kremlin isn’t disclosing. One Ukrainian platform, United24 Media, pointed to possible damage at a critical military site.
The site in question is a secretive submarine base in Vilyuchinsk. It sits only 130 kilometers from where the earthquake struck. The base is one of the most important in Russia’s Pacific Fleet. It houses several nuclear-powered submarines.
Open-source analysts believe the quake may have affected the base’s land-based facilities.
A Deadly Reach of 6,000 Km
While submarines are designed to handle underwater pressure and vibrations, buildings on land are more vulnerable. This includes storage units for missiles and nuclear equipment, as well as docks and maintenance areas.
Some of the submarines stationed at the base include the K-44 Ryazan, which is equipped with 16 ballistic missile launchers. Each of those launchers can carry three nuclear warheads.
That gives the submarine a deadly reach of over 6,000 kilometers. Other submarines in the area include the Alexander Nevsky, Vladimir Monomakh, Tomsk, Omsk, Irkutsk, Magadan, and Kuzbass.
Together, these submarines hold a large portion of Russia’s nuclear deterrent. They are capable of launching hundreds of nuclear warheads.
For now, there has been no official confirmation from Moscow about any damage at the Vilyuchinsk base. But experts warn that even a small hit to the site’s infrastructure could pose serious risks.
