On Thursday, July 24, 2025, Russia officially commissioned its new nuclear submarine Project 955A "Borey-A", K-555 "Knyaz Dmitriy Pozharsky", into the fleet. The commissioning ceremony was held at the "Sevmash" shipyard in northern Russia, where the submarine was built.
Notably, the event was attended in person by Russian President Vladimir Putin, marking a departure from his recent practice of joining such events virtually, Naval News reports, cited by Focus.
Defense Express notes that this is not just another routine milestone for the Russian military-industrial complex, but a marker of a broader strategic trend: strengthening Russia's ability to maintain its nuclear threat position against NATO.
The Project 955 "Borey" and Project 955A "Borey-A" submarines are intended to replace the aging Project 667 “Dolphin“ submarines, which currently form the backbone of the sea component of the Russian nuclear triad.
According to the “Military Balance 2024“, published by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, at the beginning of 2024, Russia operated six “Borey“ class submarines (projects 955/955A) and six “Dolphin“ boats, each armed with 16 intercontinental ballistic missiles – R-30 “Bulava“ and R-27, respectively. The Kremlin’s plan calls for the construction of a total of eight Borei-class submarines, thus decommissioning the Dolphin fleet.
If fully implemented, this would reduce Russia’s total number of SLBMs from 192 to 128 missiles. But it would give Moscow a fleet of modern nuclear-capable carriers capable of remaining operational for 20 years or more, thus maintaining its sea-based nuclear strike capability as a deterrent and blackmail tool in the future.
This renewal also has direct implications for Ukraine. The Kremlin’s nuclear threats have affected the timing and scope of Western military aid, and maintaining a modernized fleet of submarines will only exacerbate this factor.
For reference, the Project 955A Borei-A submarines (NATO reporting name: Dolgorukiy) are 170 meters long, have a displacement of 24,000 tons underwater, carry a crew of 107, and are armed with 16 silos for D-30 "Bulava" intercontinental ballistic missiles, along with six 533-millimeter torpedo tubes.