NATO is monitoring the secret “Scythia” project, through which Russia would develop nuclear missiles on the seabed
Russia is secretly working on a new nuclear weapons system capable of changing the global strategic balance, according to an investigation by German broadcasters WDR and NDR. It is about the military project “Skif” (“Scythians”), which would involve the placement of nuclear missiles on the bottom of the seas and oceans, where they could remain hidden and operational for long periods.
Putin presented several Russian “superweapons” as early as 2018. PHOTO: AFP
These missiles could be remotely activated and would be extremely difficult for Western states to detect or neutralize.
In the center of attention is the Russian ship “Zvezdochka” (“The Star”), a specialized military vessel stationed in the city of Severodvinsk, an important naval center in northwestern Russia. According to Western sources, the ship would have the role of transporting and installing special containers with nuclear missiles on the bottom of the ocean, according to the investigation.
The journalistic investigation claims that the “Skif” project has been analyzed for many years by the Western secret services, and Russia would thus try to develop an alternative that is cheaper and harder to intercept than classic nuclear submarines.
Experts consulted by German media say the system would allow Moscow to maintain its nuclear deterrent capability even in the event of economic difficulties or the loss of part of its submarine fleet.
Vladimir Putin has since 2018 presented several Russian “superweapons”, including hypersonic systems and underwater nuclear weapons, saying they are impossible to intercept by Russia's adversaries.
According to the investigation, the missiles “Skif” would be modified variants of the ballistic missile “Sineva”, already used by Russian submarines. These weapons could be located several hundred meters deep and have a range of thousands of kilometers.
Western sources claim that the special submarine would also be used for the project “Sarov”, capable of participating in complex underwater operations.
But experts warn that the technology involves huge difficulties: power supply, resistance to sea currents, transmission of commands and maintenance of systems on the ocean floor are major challenges.
Military historian Matthias Uhl believes that such projects also have a strong psychological role.
“These weapons are intended to intimidate and create insecurity among adversaries,” he declared.
The concept of nuclear weapons hidden at the bottom of the seas is not new. Since the Cold War, the US has considered similar ideas, but the projects were abandoned due to technical difficulties and strategic risks.
In 1971, the great powers signed “Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons on the Sea and Ocean Floor”, document still in force. However, the treaty prohibits such systems only in international waters, not near one's own coasts.
At the same time, it is not clear whether the system has already been deployed operationally or is still in the experimental phase.
