russia's new Project 09851 nuclear-powered submarine Khabarovsk has gone to sea for the first time. This submarine is set to become the second in the russian arsenal capable of carrying Poseidon nuclear-powered torpedoes.
This was reported by Massimo Frantarelli on X. According to his post, the submarine has departed from Severodvinsk and is heading toward the White Sea, where it will undergo sea trials.
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From Defense Express we would like to note that it is set to become the second submarine to carry Poseidon nuclear torpedoes, which are said to have an unlimited range. Currently, the only vessel in this class is the Belgorod submarine, which belongs to Project 09852 and is russia's largest submarine.
It is possible that, with the introduction of yet another submarine into service, russians will attempt to launch another campaign of nuclear blackmail and intimidation against Western countries using their torpedoes. The last time this happened was in the fall of 2025, when russians announced the completion of testing.
It is known that Khabarovsk was ordered back in the summer of 2012 and its keel was laid in the summer of 2014. Most of the information about the submarine is classified, but it is known that JSC PO Sevmash was in charge of its construction, while the Rubin Central Design Bureau for Marine Engineering was responsible for its design and development.
The submarine was launched in November 2025, after which its completion afloat took less than 10 months. In other words, a total of 12 years elapsed between the laying of the keel and the start of sea trials. However, it is still too early to speak of the project being completed, as the submarine must first complete all trials and be accepted into service.
Khabarovsk is expected to be 135 meters long, 13.5 meters wide, and likely equipped with six launch tubes for the Poseidon torpedoes. At the same time, it is still unclear whether the submarine will be equipped with conventional torpedo tubes and, if so, how many.
Defense Express previously reported on the design of this submarine, which incorporates elements from other projects, and speculated about certain features that could point to potential flaws in russia's mega-torpedoes. It is currently known that the Khabarovsk submarine will reportedly join the Pacific Fleet.
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