Russian President Vladimir Putin launched Moscow’s new nuclear-powered submarine on Thursday in Murmansk, according to the Kremlin’s press release.
Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for comment via email.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attending a ceremonial ship launching for the nuclear-powered submarine Perm in Murmansk, Russia on March 27, 2025.
Russian President Vladimir Putin attending a ceremonial ship launching for the nuclear-powered submarine Perm in Murmansk, Russia on March 27, 2025.
Sergei Karpukhin/Associated Press
Why It Matters
Putin’s launch of the new nuclear-powered submarine comes swiftly after Moscow and Kyiv agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea following peace negotiations with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia this week.
The introduction of the new weapon could jeopardize the temporary ceasefire agreements with Ukraine and pro-long the war, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of not pursuing “real peace” with continued attacks.
What To Know
Putin took part in the nuclear-powered submarine’s launch via videoconference during his visit to Atomflot, in which he went to the Maritime Operations Headquarters.
The Russian president announced the launch of the new nuclear-powered submarine, equipped with hypersonic Zircon missiles capable of traveling at several times the speed of sound, at the Arctic port of Murmansk by stating “I hereby authorize!” according to Reuters.
The submarine, named Perm after a city in the Urals, a mountain range in western Russia, is the first of its kind to carry hypersonic Zircon missiles.
The missile’s range has been disputed, as the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance previously said that it has a range between 500 kilometers (310 miles) and 750 kilometers (466 miles), while Russian sources claimed that it can reach up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) and travel nine times the speed of sound.
Putin emphasized that the hypersonic Zircon missiles are a way of penetrating antimissile defenses in June 2024, and Russia used the missiles to attack Ukraine for the first time in February 2024.
Built by the Sevmash shipyard near Murmansk, the Perm nuclear-powered submarine is Russia’s sixth in the Yasen and Yasen-M classes.
Putin said that the Yasen and Yasen-M class submarines “feature state-of-the-art navigation and communications systems, as well as advanced sonars” and “carry high-precision weapons and robotic systems.”
As the Russia-Ukraine war has progressed, Moscow has grown its nuclear-powered submarine fleet, bolstering Russia’s maritime capabilities.
What People Are Saying
According to the Kremlin’s press release about the launch, Putin said: “I would like to congratulate Russia’s sailors and shipbuilders on this landmark event. Today, the Perm nuclear-powered multipurpose submarine is being launched at the legendary Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk. We continue with the serial production of modern missile submarines, and this is already the fifth Project Yasen-M nuclear-powered submarine. Next year, it is expected to join the Navy to embark on combat missions.”
He added: “We have and will continue to strengthen the Navy, including its strategic component, while steadily increasing the pace and scale of construction for both surface warships and submarines across various projects, equipping them with the latest weapons, technology and communications systems.
“These submarines and warships will enhance the power of our fleets, strengthen the security of Russia’s maritime borders and safeguard the Northern Sea Route. They will help uphold Russia’s national interests in various parts of the World Ocean, including the Arctic zone, which is gaining tremendous economic, logistical and transport significance amid growing global competition. We will continue to do everything in our power to reliably defend Russia’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and to enhance its status as a leading maritime power.”
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Janis Kluge, the deputy head of Eastern Europe and Eurasia Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, wrote: “Regular reminder that Russia does not want a “negotiated peace” with a sovereign Ukraine. Putin also doesn’t want a ceasefire. It’s not going to happen. Change your assumptions. Some ideas die hard, but we have to keep trying.”
What Happens Next
It is unclear whether Russia will deploy the new nuclear-powered submarine next year if the war ends before then.