Russian nuclear submarine base shows signs of damage after tsunami

Satellite imagery reveals a pier at the Rybachiy nuclear submarine base of Russia's Pacific Fleet was dislodged by a tsunami following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake.

Satellite imagery captured by Umbra Space on 31/7 shows a section of the pier at the Rybachiy base on the Kamchatka Peninsula shifted from its original position, seemingly separated from the rest after a tsunami hit the location the day before. No submarines were docked at the base at the time the image was taken.

Dislodged pier at Russia's Rybachiy nuclear submarine base in satellite imagery taken on 31/7. Photo: Umbra Space

Dislodged pier at Russia's Rybachiy nuclear submarine base in satellite imagery taken on 31/7. Photo: Umbra Space

The 8.8 magnitude earthquake on 30/7 off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula triggered tsunamis up to 5 meters high at some locations on Russia's eastern coast.

According to Tom Sharpe, a former British naval commander, a pier at the base was significantly tilted and could hinder vessels from entering and exiting the area. A tugboat appears to be present at the end of the dislodged pier section for repairs.

"If the tsunami could tilt the pier like that, what other damage could it have caused to the base?", Sharpe asked.

However, military experts believe that apart from the tilted pier, the Rybachiy base suffered no other structural damage and was not significantly affected militarily.

Sidharth Kaushal, an expert at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), assessed that there were no signs of damage to the Russian submarine fleet at the Rybachiy base.

"I am unsure whether any other piers were damaged. However, this probably doesn't significantly alter the pace of operations at the base", Kaushal said.

Russia's Rybachiy nuclear submarine base in satellite imagery taken on 17/7. Photo: Telegraph

Russia's Rybachiy nuclear submarine base in satellite imagery taken on 17/7. Photo: Telegraph

A former Russian naval officer said he had not heard of any serious damage to the Rybachiy base. "Such bases are designed and built to withstand a nuclear attack", he said.

The Rybachiy base is located within Avacha Bay, nearly 100 km west of the earthquake's epicenter. The area's topography is believed to have partially shielded the base from the tsunami. Avacha Bay also houses the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky naval base along with missile loading and shipbuilding facilities.