The Russian nuclear submarine Khabarovsk has put to sea on its first trial deployment since construction began in 2014.
The vessel is built to carry six Poseidon torpedoes, which function as autonomous nuclear-powered underwater vehicles designed to deliver strategic nuclear strikes beneath the ocean surface rather than following the ballistic flight path of standard intercontinental missiles.
Nuclear-powered submarines use onboard reactors to remain submerged for extended periods without needing to surface for air or fuel. Unlike conventional intercontinental ballistic missiles that launch into space before re-entering the atmosphere, underwater autonomous vehicles navigate entirely through oceanic depths to reach their targets.
Calculations published by the defense analysis outlet Army Recognition indicate that Poseidon can cover a distance of 10,000 kilometres in 90 hours. The torpedo moves at speeds of 60 to 70 knots, equivalent to roughly 110 to 130 kilometres per hour, though some experts estimate its top speed at 100 knots, or 185 kilometres per hour.
Army Recognition reported that these operational characteristics make Poseidon most suitable for striking fixed geographical targets whose coordinates remain unchanged after one to four days of underwater travel. The vehicle is designed to strike naval bases, coastal military facilities, and industrial infrastructure.
Speed and depth capabilities
Russian military expert Alexei Leonkov stated that the Khabarovsk and its Poseidon payload are referred to in Russia as a weapon of retribution. He noted that adversary military forces possess no effective defensive weapons against Poseidon, explaining that international anti-torpedo developments have not reached the technical level of the Russian system.
Leonkov said that even the fastest experimental torpedoes, such as those previously developed in Germany for serial production, reached speeds of 90 kilometres per hour but were restricted to operational depths of up to 400 metres. By contrast, Poseidon travels at a depth of one kilometre.
Leonkov stated that Poseidon cannot be intercepted, overtaken, or aborted once launched. He added that the vehicle can navigate along complex underwater routes, making early detection extremely unlikely until it is too late to respond.
The primary mission of Poseidon is the destruction of coastal areas, including naval bases, major shipping ports, and large naval carrier strike groups. Leonkov added that specific target coordinates can be programmed for each torpedo, and that the system is intended for deployment after primary strategic nuclear forces have already struck enemy territory.
Strategic role and testing history
In July, Alexander Stepanov, an expert at the Institute of Law and National Security of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, described Poseidon as an example of Russia's most destructive weapon. He said the system serves as a strategic deterrent designed to guarantee an unacceptable, maximally destructive response against any aggressor.
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, stated that Poseidon represents a unique system ahead of its time. Medvedev noted that developing such strategic weaponry requires fundamental engineering solutions, adding that Russia possesses the necessary scientific and manufacturing base.
Information that Russia had tested the Poseidon unmanned underwater vehicle with a nuclear power unit first emerged in October 2025. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated at the time that Poseidon was engineered to inflict guaranteed unacceptable damage on enemy coastal territories, while military analyst Yuri Knutov noted that the nuclear-powered drone could generate a tsunami capable of washing away shore installations.
The Security Council of Russia is a constitutional body that advises the president on national security policy, while the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration is a major state research institute in Moscow specializing in public administration and law.
