Russia allegedly prepares to test nuclear-powered torpedo, possibly Poseidon, in the Arctic Sea - CNN 

This was reported by a high-ranking American official on condition of anonymity, CNN informs.

According to the source, among the ships that participated in the preparation of the nuclear test was the Belgorod cruise missile submarine, capable of launching unmanned underwater vehicles, including the Poseidon torpedo.

Over the past week, the United States has recorded the departure of Russian vessels from a test site in the Arctic Ocean and their return to port without conducting tests. American intelligence believes that this may indicate the technical difficulties of the Russians.

"This can be seen as part of the bigger picture and the recent military practice of Russia, which has sent ill-trained and under-equipped troops into Ukraine. Russia's military industry is going through difficult times, and we also see that Western sanctions on high-tech military goods are having an effect and must continue," a CNN source said.

The United States believes that Russia may repeat the attempt to test the torpedo, but notes that the waters in the area will soon begin to be covered with ice, which will limit the time window for such an operation.

The Poseidon torpedo is a nuclear unmanned underwater vehicle capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear munitions. The nuclear system gives Poseidon an almost unlimited strike range. American officials previously indicated that the main purpose of Poseidon is to cause a large-scale nuclear tsunami to flood and contaminate US coastal cities.

The development of Poseidon lasted for years with skeptical assessments of NATO officials. It is believed that some tests were carried out as early as 2015, but there were never any launches from the Belgorod submarine.