Putin launches ‘city killer’ submarine packed with nuke drones capable of triggering a tsunami
The Kremlin claims the Belgorod will carry up to eight nuclear-armed Poseidon 'apocalypse torpedoes'
VLADIMIR Putin's military has unveiled the latest weapon in Russia's fearsome arsenal - a nuclear sub capable of triggering TSUNAMIS which can destroy entire cities.
The 14,700-ton Belgorod, which is twice the size of the Royal Navy's Astute-class attack submarines, bristles with nuclear-tipped underwater drone torpedoes guided by artificial intelligence.
The Russian leader oversaw the planning and the launch of a new war machine which has been described by military insiders as a true "doomsday" weapon.
During Tuesday's visit to a military shipyard in St. Petersburg, he viewed the departure of the sub from the Sevmash plant in Severodvinsk via a teleconference.
The Russian Navy said the submarine - expected to operate in the Arctic and the North Atlantic - is designed to carry eight Poseidon drones and is set to enter service next year.
He first mentioned the nuclear-powered drone among an array of other new weapons in a state-of-the nation address last year, saying they would render US missile defence systems useless.
Putin has boasted the sub's torpedoes can completely destroy coastal targets more than 6,000 miles away.
They are specifically designed to thwart NATO underwater defences as it heads to targets in cities, naval bases or aircraft carriers anywhere in Europe or on America's eastern coast.
The drone torpedoes are much larger than the conventional weapons - measuring up to 79ft long - which is why they need to be carried by specially designed submarines.
Once launched, the weapon can be controlled remotely to bypass defences and has a theoretically unlimited range thanks to its nuclear reactor engine.
Reports on its speed have varied, putting it as low as 70mph and as high as 124mph, making it very difficult to stop.
The sub is also fitted with an underwater dock which allows it to launch a 180ft mini-sub and intelligence gathering drones.
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These clandestine underwater crafts would be able to sabotage fibreoptic communications cables and North Sea oil infrastructure.
Mikhail Budnichenko, director of the shipyard, said "the enterprise's shipbuilders will fulfil all the tasks of building ships within the established timeframe and with high quality."
In January, Fox News reported that a former senior adviser to President Trump admitting there are “genuine concerns” about the sub.
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