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Russia's New Superweapon Reportedly Hidden Deep Beneath the Sea
🇭🇺 Hungary /Conflict & Security

Russia's New Superweapon Reportedly Hidden Deep Beneath the Sea

From Magyar Nemzet · () Hungarian

Translated from Hungarian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Russia is reportedly developing a secret project, codenamed 'Scythian,' to deploy ballistic missiles on the ocean floor.
  • The project involves the vessel Zvezdochka, operated by Russia's secretive Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research (GUGI), which handles underwater espionage and drone development.
  • Western intelligence suggests the goal is to create a hard-to-neutralize nuclear weapon platform, potentially reducing reliance on traditional launch sites.

Russia may be developing a clandestine project to place ballistic missiles on the ocean floor, a capability that could significantly alter strategic deterrence, according to German public broadcaster ARD.

The initiative, reportedly codenamed 'Scythian,' allegedly involves the 96-meter-long vessel Zvezdochka. This ship belongs to GUGI, the Russian Navy's Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research, a highly secretive organization responsible for underwater espionage, developing deep-sea nuclear drones like Poseidon, and manipulating undersea infrastructure.

The goal of the Russian project is to deploy missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons – at depths of several hundred meters – on the seabed.

— Unnamed Western intelligence sourcesDescribing the alleged objective of Russia's 'Scythian' project.

Western intelligence sources suggest the project aims to deploy missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads at depths of several hundred meters. This would create a submerged, difficult-to-detect, and hard-to-neutralize launch platform. Such a system could allow Russia to rely less on costly and vulnerable traditional launch sites.

The deployment of nuclear weapons on the seabed would greatly complicate their neutralization and could allow Russia to rely less on traditional launch platforms – which are expensive to build and maintain.

— Helge Adrians, naval officer and researcher at SWPExplaining the strategic implications of undersea missile deployment.

Details about the 'Scythian' project remain scarce, with neither NATO nor the Russian Ministry of Defense commenting on the reports. Historical military analyses have explored the advantages of such undersea systems, including longevity and low risk of enemy destruction. However, challenges include transmitting data and testing readiness without revealing locations.

While the U.S. has not pursued similar systems, Russia is believed to be continuing its development. Military historians suggest these projects serve a dual purpose: enhancing military capabilities and exerting psychological pressure on rival states.

The systems represent not only military capabilities but also exert psychological pressure on rival states.

— Matthias Uhl, military historianDiscussing Russia's strategic motivations behind such projects.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Magyar Nemzet in Hungarian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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