-
Russian naval ships left Cuba on Monday after a five-day official visit.
-
Among them, the submarine Kazan – with visible damage, including falling panels.
-
Although it looks shabby, it won’t affect the sub’s performance, experts told BI.
One of Russia’s most advanced new submarines, which has just left Cuba, is falling apart with damage to its hull, according to an OSINT analyst.
Marijn Markus, managing consultant at IT company Capgemini, shared four photos of the nuclear-powered Kazan in a LinkedIn post on Monday.
Markus pointed to sound insulation panels that “fell” off the forward part of the submarine’s hull. That would ruin its stealth capabilities, he said, making it “very” loud underwater and lighting up on sonar.
He also pointed out what he described as a “gaping” hole in the submarine’s belly.
“While docked, Russian divers were seen around the submarine, believed to be trying to repair the tin tub,” he said.
Markus did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
However, military experts told BI that the damage shown in the photos is common and will not affect the submarine’s operational capabilities.
Richard Kouyoumdjian Inglis, an officer in the Chilean Naval Reserve, told BI that tiles are made of rubber and can become loose and fall off.
Losing a lot of tiles would make the submarine easier to find, Inglis said. But the photos were missing only a few, not enough to make a difference, he said.
“Russian naval vessels are not state-of-the-art and are sometimes not well maintained, but that does not mean anything catastrophic will happen,” he said.
John Hardie, the deputy director of the Russia program at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told BI that such tile drops are a “fairly common” problem for all navies, including the US.
Meanwhile, Mark C, a former British Royal Navy submariner who declined to give his surname, citing work-related crossovers, said the ship appeared to have operational wear and tear but remained capable of fulfilling its role.
“So it is quite possible that the country will continue its exercises,” he told BI.
The Kazan left the port of Havana in Cuba on Monday along with three Russian surface ships after a five-day official visit that included planned military exercises in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the Associated Press.
Its next destination is unclear, although U.S. officials said a few days ago it could stop in Venezuela, according to the AP.
The US and its Western allies have been concerned about the relatively new Kazan-class submarines for years.
They mention its ability to attack targets both on land and at sea with little notice, and its stealth capability.
An unnamed U.S. official said the Russian warships to Cuba were an attempt to show that its navy is still a world power despite heavy losses in the seas around Ukraine, the AP reported earlier this month.
Read the original article on Business Insider
