Russian maritime security in crisis: U.S. submarines, leaked documents reveal deep vulnerabilities

Military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko discussed the issue, Obozrevatel reports.

In a dramatic escalation of tensions, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he would send two nuclear submarines to the Russian coastline following a heated exchange with Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev. Within days, the submarines were reportedly in position, sparking alarm in Moscow and raising questions about Russia’s ability to defend its maritime borders.

While Russia often boasts about its air defense systems, the real challenge lies beneath the waves. Unlike missile launches from land or air, submarine-launched attacks are nearly impossible to detect in advance, leaving Russia’s vast ocean borders exposed. Recent events have highlighted just how unprepared Russia is for such threats.

On August 3, Ukrainian military intelligence published secret documents detailing the design and flaws of Russia’s latest strategic nuclear submarine, the Knyaz Pozharsky. This leak exposed decades of Russian efforts to modernize its submarine fleet, revealing persistent technical problems and rushed fixes that have plagued the project since its inception.

Compounding these issues, Russia’s main underwater surveillance system in the Arctic, the MGK-608M, has been out of commission since 2016 after being accidentally destroyed by a fishing trawl. Despite the system’s critical role in detecting enemy submarines, Russia has failed to repair it due to a lack of specialized ships and ongoing delays in shipbuilding. As of July 2025, the system remains nonfunctional, and the vessels needed for repairs have yet to be delivered.

The situation is further complicated by an aging workforce at the company responsible for maintaining these systems, making future repairs and upgrades increasingly unlikely. As American submarines patrol near Russian waters and Ukrainian intelligence continues to expose sensitive information, Russia’s inability to secure its underwater frontiers has become a glaring weakness—one that its adversaries are now keenly aware of.