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NATO believes that Russia may be developing submarine-launched nuclear missiles

NATO believes that Russia may be developing submarine-launched nuclear missiles

22 May 2026, 12:40

NATO believes that Russia may be developing submarine-launched nuclear missiles — Russian submarines

NATO intelligence has monitored the activities of the Russian Federation’s Northern Fleet, which may indicate that Moscow is attempting to deploy nuclear missiles on the seabed.

This is reported in the Tagesschau programme, which draws on an investigation by two German television channels, WDR and NDR.

According to the programme, journalists spent several months investigating a secret project codenamed ‘Skif’. To get to the bottom of the situation, they analysed satellite imagery, studied scientific databases and historical documents from the Russian Federation, and spoke to military personnel and experts. In addition, the investigative journalists drew on NATO intelligence data.

“Russia may have been working for many years on deploying ballistic missiles at sea in a manner previously unknown… These launchers will be virtually impossible to detect and destroy,” the investigation states.

According to NATO intelligence, the "Skif" missile was developed specifically for the Russian Federation’s military project. It is a modification of the "Sineva" missile, which is in service on Russian submarines.

The report states that these new missiles can be launched from the seabed and have a range of several thousand kilometres. Moreover, the first tests took place “several years ago”.

The missiles in question are capable of carrying nuclear warheads and can be housed in specially designed silos or containers. They can be submerged to a depth of several hundred metres, and it is believed that they can remain on the seabed for extended periods and, if necessary, be launched remotely.

According to NATO sources, vessels such as the ‘Zvezdochka’ and the ‘Sarov’ submarine could be used to install the missile silos. They are located in the city of Severodvinsk on the shores of the White Sea.

The media note that the US, the USSR and around 80 other countries signed a treaty in 1971 banning the deployment of nuclear weapons on the seabed. However, the caveat is that the agreement applies only to international waters. In other words, the document does not prohibit the deployment of such systems within a country’s own territorial waters.

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