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Moscow Flexes Arctic Muscle as Russia’s Deadly Sub Simulates Kalibr Strikes on Mock NATO Targets
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russia says one of its most advanced nuclear-powered submarines has test-fired cruise missiles in the Arctic during large-scale Zapad 2025 military drills, according to the Russian Defense Ministry on September 15.
The Arkhangelsk, a Yasen-M class attack submarine, launched Kalibr cruise missiles at a mock target in the Barents Sea.
As part of the Zapad-2025 series of exercises, the 🇷🇺Russian Yasen-M class SSGN, RFS Arkhangelsk launched a Kalibr cruise missile at a floating target in the Barents Sea. https://t.co/Ksa98HKMaw pic.twitter.com/E7N2dGcjLp
— Navy Lookout (@NavyLookout) September 15, 2025
“Within the framework of the joint strategic Zapad 2025 drills, the Northern Fleet’s submarine forces delivered a missile strike using high-precision long-range missile weapons on a simulated enemy in the Barents Sea,” the ministry claimed. It added that the exercise area had been temporarily closed to civilian shipping and air traffic.
Moscow’s Yasen-M class submarines are considered the backbone of Russia’s modern underwater fleet, designed to carry up to 32 cruise missiles in vertical launch cells, along with torpedoes and short-range air defenses.
The Arkhangelsk is among the newest in the fleet, entering service after the first Yasen-M was commissioned in 2021.
Earlier this year, Russia said it had equipped the class with Zircon hypersonic missiles—weapons capable of flying at nine times the speed of sound and striking targets at ranges of about 1,000 kilometers.
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Western analysts have described the Yasen-M as the most capable submarine design Russia has fielded since the Cold War, though the pace of serial production has lagged behind Moscow’s ambitions.
The Zapad 2025 drills, which span Russia’s western military districts, include coastal defense systems and long-range aviation in addition to submarine forces. The exercises are officially described as defensive, but they are widely seen by NATO as a rehearsal for large-scale warfare in Europe.
Earlier, the Russian Navy officially commissioned the Knyaz Pozharsky, a Project 955A Borei-A class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine.
The flag-raising ceremony, attended by Vladimir Putin, marked the vessel’s entry into operational service and highlighted Moscow’s continued investment in strategic naval assets.
