Why Russian Submarines Torpedoed Each Other in ‘NATO Lake’

Two Russian submarines faced off against each other in a simulated attack in the Baltic Sea, where NATO conducted its own military drills at a time of heightened tensions between the alliance and Moscow.

The NATO accession of Finland and Sweden prompted by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine means that the body of water is surrounded by alliance members, earning it the nickname “NATO Lake.”

Amid this grouping of NATO members is the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, where Russia’s Baltic Fleet is headquartered, making it the front line in any potential conflict between Moscow and the alliance.

The state-run Tass news agency reported on June 25 that following anti-submarine maneuvers, the diesel-electric submarines Novorossiysk and Dmitrov conducted a training duel. It said the crew of Novorossiysk “carried out a torpedo attack” using ammunition without a warhead.

The submarines also practiced combat maneuvers, such as evading enemy attacks and detecting, tracking, and launching torpedoes against enemy submarines. Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.

Both vessels are Kilo-class submarines, of which Russia still has 65 in service, The National Interest reported. The outlet added that the submarine’s speed of 20 knots is “somewhat slow” and that unlike nuclear submarines, which can operate indefinitely, a Kilo-class submarine has a range of about 8,600 miles.

While the vessels are considered inferior to nuclear-powered submarines, the Novorossiysk is equipped with advanced sonar and can carry weapons—including Kalibr cruise missiles, which can be used against both land and sea targets.

Russia appears to be relying more on its submarine fleet to convey power. It recently deployed a flotilla that included its nuclear-powered submarine Kazan to Cuba, where it conducted military drills in the Caribbean in international waters close to the U.S. coast.

The Kazan was armed with Zircon hypersonic missiles, and in response, NATO deployed a P-8 Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft to monitor its movements.

Russia’s Baltic drills took place in a week in which NATO conducted its Baltops military exercises, with the alliance’s newest member, Sweden, taking part in the drills for the first time. The exercises, which finished Thursday, included sea mine sweeps, submarine detection, landings and how to respond to mass casualties. They precede a NATO summit in Washington, D.C., starting July 9.

The drills followed an announcement by Denmark that it might restrict the movement of tankers in Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which transport Russian oil to circumvent Western sanctions, but whose age makes them an environmental risk.

Meanwhile, there was a strong reaction from some NATO members to a decree on a Russian government website, which was later deleted, proposing a change in Russia’s maritime border in the eastern Baltic Sea.