Putin's Missing Nuclear Subs, Jets at Navy Day Hint at Security Fears

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday oversaw a pared-down naval parade, likely indicative of security concerns amid continued long-range drone attacks and in the aftermath of the abortive Wagner Group mutiny in June.

During Navy Day celebrations in the port city of St. Petersburg, Putin announced that Moscow's naval forces would receive 30 new ships this year despite the economic and military pressures of the Kremlin's faltering full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And while this year's naval review included the same rough number of vessels, it was notable for its lack of strategic nuclear submarines and aircraft.

"The change is likely primarily due to allow for maintenance and to retain availability for operations and training," the British Defense Ministry said in a tweet earlier in July, when it was reported the nuclear-powered submarines of Russia's Northern Fleet would not be present. "There is also a realistic possibility that internal security concerns since Wagner Group's attempted mutiny have contributed to the decision."

The state-run Tass news agency reported that Sunday's parade included 45 combat ships, gunboats and submarines of the Northern, Pacific, Baltic and Black Sea fleets and about 3,000 troops. In 2022, still according to Tass, there were over 40 combat ships, gunboats and submarines of Russia's Northern, Pacific, Baltic and Black Sea fleets, 42 aircraft and helicopters and over 3,500 troops at the event.

Anti-government Russian outlet The Agency reported on Telegram that this weekend's parade was "the first time" that nuclear submarines and aviation were not involved in the annual celebration since its inception in 2017.

"Additional equipment was installed on warships to combat sabotage and drone attacks," the outlet said. "All of these changes could be related to the Wagner PMC mutiny and increased drone attacks."

The Kremlin said the weekend event included the Lada-class, diesel-electric St. Petersburg and Velikiye Luki attack submarines, both of which were part of a static parade on the Neva River. Among the vessels that then passed in formation was the Kilo-class Ufa diesel-electric attack submarine.

Tass reported that a fourth—the nuclear-powered Yasen-class Severodvinsk cruise missile submarine—was also involved in the event, though neither the Kremlin nor the Defense Ministry named the vessel in their press releases.

The Severodvinsk is traditionally armed with P-800 Oniks supersonic cruise missiles but has also completed successful tests firing Kalibr cruise missiles and hypersonic 3M22 Zircon missiles.

The conspicuous absence of Russia's 11 nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines was expected, having been announced in Russian state media in mid-July. Tass, for example, cited "several sources close to the navy," one of which confirmed that "atomic submarines will not be involved in the naval parade for the first time."

Russian state media did not suggest a reason for their exclusion.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry by email to request comment.

The Navy Day celebrations in St. Petersburg escaped the long-range attacks that targeted Moscow and Crimea this weekend. But Ukraine's defense intelligence agency said it marked Navy Day by sending Trojan-horse Viber, Telegram, and WhatsApp messages to Russian sailors in order to hack their devices.

The messages contained a video of the sinking of the Moskva cruiser, which served as the Black Sea Fleet's flagship until it was destroyed by Ukrainian anti-ship missiles in April 2022.

Russian authorities blamed the weekend Moscow strikes on Kyiv, saying that air defense units shot down one drone while two others were jammed and crashed into the Moscow City business district less than 5 miles from the Kremlin. Ukrainian authorities routinely refuse to confirm or deny involvement in strikes on Russian territory.