The Telegraph: Russian nuclear submarine base hit by tsunami in Kamchatka

Russia's nuclear submarine base was probably damaged by the tsunami that swept along the country's Pacific coast on Wednesday, July 30. This was reported by the newspaper The Telegraph, referring to the relevant satellite images.

Waves caused by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit the Rybachy base in Kamchatka, where most of the nuclear submarines of the Russian Pacific Fleet are stationed.

Images taken by the Umbra Space satellite on the morning of July 31 showed that part of one of the piers had bent away from its original position, likely indicating that it had become detached from its moorings.

The nuclear submarines deployed there, including the latest Borey submarines and Soviet Delta submarines, are the closest to the United States, except for those on forward deployment.

"Rybachy is located in Avacha Bay, approximately 120 kilometers west of the earthquake's epicenter. The bay is also home to the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatka naval base, some missile launchers and a ship repair plant.

Satellite images taken on July 17 show a submarine moored near the pier, which is now likely damaged. In both images, the ship is moored on the western side of the pier.

Umbra Space uses satellites with a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) system that can penetrate clouds, which prevents other systems from getting a clear picture of the tsunami's impact on Rybachy.

At the same time, Dr. Sidharth Kaushal, a researcher at the Royal United Institute of Defense Studies, said that there were no signs of damage to the submarine fleet.

"It appears that a surface ship was moored at the pier, not a submarine, which is notable. I'm not sure we can say for sure anything more than that the pier was damaged, [which] I suspect is unlikely to have a significant impact on the intensity of work [at the base]," he explained.

According to Tom Sharp, a retired Royal Navy commander, the pier is tilted at a "terrible angle" making it difficult for ships to enter and exit. He added that there is likely a tugboat near the edge of the bent section that could be used in initial repairs.

However, experts emphasized that there were no signs of damage to the vessel, and the berths used by nuclear submarines are designed to withstand seismic impacts.

However, even minor damage to the base has raised doubts about Moscow's expediency in placing so many Pacific Fleet facilities in one place, journalists noted.

"That's why having multiple bases is a good idea, because you never know when something you didn't expect will catch up with you," Sharpe said.

• On July 30, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 to 8.7 on the Richter scale occurred in the Russian Kamchatka region. A tsunami warning was issued in the region.
• The same day, residents of the United States, Japan, and the Philippines were warned of a tsunami threat.