Satellite images show Russia's nuclear sub base damaged by July quake: Report

New Delhi,UPDATED: Aug 5, 2025 05:46 IST

A powerful earthquake that struck Russia’s Far East last month appears to have damaged a key Russian nuclear submarine base, according to The New York Times.

The magnitude 8.8 quake, one of the strongest in the region in decades, hit near the Kamchatka Peninsula on July 31. It triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific and was followed by a volcanic eruption — and now, it seems, left a strategic Russian naval facility with visible damage.

Satellite images captured by Planet Labs, a private commercial imaging firm, show part of a floating pier at the Rybachiy submarine base has broken away. The base is home to Russia’s Pacific Fleet nuclear submarines and is considered one of the country’s most sensitive military installations.

“One section of the pier appears to have broken away from its anchor point,” the New York Times reported. Beyond the pier, however, “the satellite imagery does not show any other major destruction.”

The Russian defence ministry has not commented publicly on the reported damage.

The Rybachiy base is critical to Russia’s military operations in the Pacific, serving as a key point for the maintenance, deployment, and operations of nuclear-powered submarines.

The July 31 quake was so strong it set off tsunami alerts from Kamchatka to Chile. Local officials described it as “the strongest in decades.” Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov called it a serious event, and evacuations were ordered in coastal areas.

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With inputs from Reuters