Russia sends nuclear attack submarine “Project 636” to the German Baltic Sea border.
In the midst of the tense political situation between NATO and Russia, a Russian attack submarine was spotted in the Baltic Sea. What is Putin planning with “Project 636” submarine?
The Baltic Sea already has a new nickname after Finland and Sweden joined NATO: “NATO Sea”. After all, this inland sea is now surrounded by states that are members of NATO. But from the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad between Lithuania and Poland, Putin can monitor the Baltic Sea – and even smuggle Russian super submarines into the open sea. Only a few people know exactly what happens under the sea’s surface. However, a new incident is increasing fears about the plans of Kremlin chief Putin. What is the Russian ruler planning?
NATO countries closely monitor Russian attack submarine “Project 636” in the Baltic Sea – pictures published
As the US magazine Newsweek reports, a NATO surveillance aircraft spotted a Russian submarine crossing the Baltic Sea last week. The central NATO command of all naval forces in the alliance, “Marcom”, has now published images showing the Russian submarine on the surface of the Baltic Sea. The Portuguese armed forces detected the submarine using a P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft.
However, the NATO command did not provide any information on where or when the Russian attack submarine was sighted in the Baltic Sea. However, the open source researcher “Evergreen Intel” said on X, citing flight tracking data from June 26, that a P-3C patrol aircraft of the Portuguese Air Force was in operation over waters off Poland and southeast of the Danish island of Bornholm. These details cannot be independently confirmed. NATO is puzzled: What was the nuclear submarine doing near the German border? So far it is unclear where the ship was going – a training or reconnaissance trip or even a route into the world’s oceans is conceivable. Just recently there was a torpedo attack in the Baltic Sea: Russian submarines practiced an emergency near the NATO coast.
Attack submarine “Project 636” dates back to Soviet times, notorious use in the Ukraine war
According to military observers, this Russian submarine has improved sound, propulsion and automation designs. Moscow’s Project 636-class underwater warships can fire nuclear-capable Kalibr cruise missiles and are capable of long-range attacks. They have already been used extensively in attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. They were first built for the Soviet Navy in the 1980s. Putin even wants to expand Russia’s nuclear submarine fleet – this is causing unrest among NATO countries.
Russia provokes NATO units with maneuvers “that could be viewed as unprofessional”
Since NATO expanded surveillance with a “360-degree approach” to deterrence and defense, there have been repeated active encounters between Russian and NATO units. “Our operations and vigilance measures often bring us close to Russian units. We have occasionally observed some maneuvers that could be considered unprofessional, mainly by air forces, such as close-range overflights of NATO units,” reports German Rear Admiral Stefan Pauly on the Marcom portal. He emphasizes that NATO units are “ready, determined and yet responsible” in a possible response to these provocations.
