Tetiana Frolova

A Ukrainian underwater drone strike that crippled a Russian Kilo-class submarine has forced Moscow to physically block access to a key Black Sea naval harbor, effectively trapping its own warships and underscoring the growing reach of Ukraine’s maritime campaign.

Russia plans to lay down two additional Project 677M Lada-class diesel-electric submarines in early 2026, a move that underscores Moscow’s continued push to modernize its non-nuclear submarine force despite years of technical setbacks.

Russia now poses a more dangerous and complex threat to the United Kingdom and NATO than at any point in recent decades, requiring a “whole of society” response that goes far beyond the armed forces alone, Britain’s top military officer said during a major security speech in London.