Russia installs drone defense nets at Kamchatka nuclear submarine base

Satellite imagery has revealed that Russia is installing protective drone defense nets at the Rybachiy naval base on the Kamchatka Peninsula. This facility serves as a primary docking point for the Russian Pacific Fleet’s nuclear submarines.

Images provided by Vantor show net structures positioned over at least two nuclear-powered submarines, including Borei and Borei-A classes. These vessels are critical components of Russia’s naval nuclear deterrent and conduct long-range strategic patrols in the Pacific Ocean. Recent imagery also shows floating barriers near the piers, which are becoming common at Russian naval bases to counter threats from surface-level unmanned maritime vehicles.

The deployment of these defenses at a base located over 7,400 kilometers from Ukraine suggests a heightened precaution against potential long-range Ukrainian drone strikes. Similar defensive measures have previously been observed at the Novorossiysk naval base in the Black Sea, where Kilo-class attack submarines have also been fitted with protective structures over their conning towers.