The timing couldn’t be more concerning as Russia has made their dreaded next-gen nuclear submarine into active service. It’s capable of launching nuclear drones that can allegedly create a radioactive tsunami over 1/3rd of a mile high, though U.S. officials claim such capabilities are overstated.
According to Washington Examiner:
The Belgorod, the first Project 09852 special purpose nuclear-powered submarine, was commissioned in the northern Russian city of Severodvinsk, the headquarters of the Northern Fleet, according to U.S. Naval Institute News. The ship was launched in April 2019 after its original commission date of late 2021 was postponed due to COVID-19, according to state news agency TASS.
The Belgorod is the first submarine capable of launching the Poseidon, an “Intercontinental Nuclear-Powered Nuclear-Armed Autonomous Torpedo,” the largest torpedo ever created, according to naval expert H. I. Sutton. The nuclear-armed torpedo is twice as large as submarine-launched ballistic missiles and 30 times larger than a standard torpedo.
The weapons system made headlines in May when Dmitry Kiselyov, a presenter for state-owned media company Russia-1, threatened to use the Poseidon to destroy the United Kingdom and Ireland in a nuclear tsunami. He said the weapon’s 100-megaton yield would produce a 500-meter high radioactive tsunami that would turn the British Isles into a radioactive desert, a claim disputed by Western experts.
And another nuclear threat to the UK from Russian state TV's Dmitry Kiselyov:
He says his country's Poseidon nuclear underwater drone could cause a tsunami that would "plunge the British Isles into the depths of the sea" and turn them into a "radioactive desert" (with subs) pic.twitter.com/usElgqHeIG
— Francis Scarr (@francis_scarr) May 1, 2022
Tensions continue to rise between Russia and the United States as the war in Ukraine continues despite massive support from NATO for the Ukrainian government. Weapons and cash do not seem to be turning the tide against Russian forces, causing a continuation of sanctions that are eroding the world’s various economies.
The timing of commissioning the Belgorod is conspicuous, even if it’s only saber-rattling. Is Russia preparing to hit NATO targets, possibly even the United States coast?
