Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence (HUR) has obtained a comprehensive cache of classified internal documentation on Russia’s newest nuclear submarine – the K-555 Knyaz Pozharsky, a Borei-A class strategic ballistic missile submarine.
According to a statement from the HUR on August 2, the materials include:
- A full crew list with names, ranks, qualifications, and physical readiness levels;
- Combat instructions for the crew;
- The vessel’s battle schematic, survivability systems layout, and crew organizational structure;
- Cabin regulations, evacuation and logistics protocols, and various operational manuals;
- Engineering documentation, including a technical report on a deformed radio buoy listing the investigation commission and participating enterprises.
Additionally, Ukrainian intelligence acquired a detailed excerpt from the submarine’s internal daily operations logbook, which governs the ship’s combat routines and day-to-day functions.
The Borei-A class submarines are a core component of Russia’s so-called nuclear triad. Each vessel is equipped with 16 launch tubes for R-30 Bulava-30 intercontinental ballistic missiles, each capable of carrying up to 10 nuclear warheads.
The Knyaz Pozharsky was officially commissioned into Russia’s Northern Fleet 31st Submarine Division on July 24, 2025. Its home base is located in Gadzhiyevo, Murmansk Oblast. Russian president Vladimir Putin personally oversaw the submarine’s formal deployment into active service.
HUR says the intelligence gathered reveals specific technical characteristics and vulnerabilities of not only Knyaz Pozharsky, but of other Borei-A class submarines as well—vessels that play a crucial role in maintaining Russia’s image as a global military power.