World3 min(s) read
The Kremlin's latest military move could spell trouble for the West in yet another warning of a potential 'doomsday'.
Vladimir Putin and his supporters in the media have not been shy in unveiling the nation's preparations for the worst-case scenarios in recent years, and it doesn't look like the trend is stopping anytime soon.
A new Russian submarine, which can carry torpedoes with tsunami-causing capabilities, disembarked last week and headed for the White Sea.
It's called the Khabarovsk submarine, and the 10,000-tonne watercraft was terrifyingly built to carry the nation's doomsday Poseidon nuclear torpedo.
The chilling prospect of the devices, which are powered by their own nuclear reactors, can reportedly be released at sea before traveling stealthily to a target and detonating underwater, as per Russian media.
Putin's latest weapon could signal a new era of submarine warfare, with The Telegraph reporting that the torpedo has the power to create a tsunami on an enemy's coastline.
Its impact is so great that Russia has announced its plans to acquire at least 30 Poseidon torpedoes and four submarines to carry them.
But while the Khabarovsk is the only one to have started so far, the sub's targets are most likely to be US, British or French submarine bases.
It may be Britain in particular that is most under threat, as Putin has been urged to use Poseidon against the European nation following its decision to support Ukraine.
Great Britain has sent Russia's adversaries drones amidst their ongoing conflict, which has unsurprisingly rubbed them the wrong way.
Vladimir Solovyov, a Russian state TV presenter and Putin mouthpiece, has once again threatened the UK following the release of the Khabarovsk submarine.
"Give the British three days to learn to breathe underwater, then hit them with Poseidon," he said.
Ukraine used the British-supplied drones to strike deep into Russian territory, with the latter warning the UK that they would have to pay a 'price' following the latest strikes.
The Russian embassy in London has even accused the nation of becoming "an accomplice and co-perpetrator" of the attacks, claiming that they deliberately escalated the tense conflict with their actions.
In response, the UK's Ministry of Defence stated: "Britain stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and we are committed to providing the equipment Ukraine needs to defend itself against Putin's illegal invasion."
Despite threats from Solovyov, experts don't think the Kremlin will fire Poseidon in anger, as reports say it isn't producing them in large numbers.
They say that it is for worst-case scenarios, as Dr Richard Connolly, an expert on Russian defence policy, explained: "If they were to do what the Russian TV presenters are proposing, they'd face retaliation from Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent."
The associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) military think tank further stated: "So they wouldn't do it, because they know they'd pay a price."
