A Russian Submarine That Left Cuba Looks to be 'Falling Apart' with its Soundproofing Panels Missing

Summary and Key Points: The Russian Yasen-M-class nuclear submarine Kazan, docked in Havana, has drawn attention for its apparent disrepair. Images shared online show missing soundproofing panels, compromising the sub's stealth.

-Despite the viral social media reactions mocking Russia's naval maintenance, experts note that Western submarines face similar issues due to the harsh operating conditions. However, the state of Kazan raises concerns about the Russian Navy's upkeep standards.

-As the sub continues its journey, observers speculate on its condition upon returning to Russia.

Russian Sub Kazan's Stealth Compromised During Havana Visit

Cuba is famous for its cigars, beaches, and its 1960s revolution. Due to the latter, it's also famed for its classic American cars. Even today, more than 60 years after the Communists came to power, Cuban streets are filled with iconic American cars, while a cottage industry keeps them running.

This is worth noting as one of the Russian vessels that recently arrived in the Cuban capital of Havana for a five-day port-of-call visit was spotted on Tuesday looking a little worse for wear. Images on social media purported to show damage to the outer hull of Yasen-M-class nuclear-powered guided-missile submarine Kazan. 

Perhaps the crew should call on the locals to work their maintenance magic on the boat.

Missing Panels Spotted Online

Marijn Markus, a managing consultant at the Capgemini IT firm, first shared four photos of Kazan in a post on LinkedIn. He suggested that soundproofing panels on the hull had fallen off, which would compromise the boat's stealth capabilities.

"Its soundproofing panels are falling off, meaning the 'stealth' sub is likely very loud underwater and lights up on sonar," wrote Markus. "Anechoic tiles are meant to be replaceable but OMG that gaping hole on the right…"

Markus further noted that Russian divers were attempting to repair the six-year-old submarines, while he also added, "Note losing tiles is a problem western subs also suffer from. Usually adhesive problem and the continual compression and expansion of the hull. Let's hope this submarine makes it back to Russian waters before imploding so it doesn't create another international incident, like the Kursk submarine disaster of 2000."

The images have gone viral, becoming the latest anti-Russia propaganda to make the rounds on social media.

"RUSSIA'S NUKE SUB IS COLLAPSING. 'Russia's newest nuclear submarine, the Kazan, falls apart visiting Cuba.' Russian Navy = rusting bucket. Does it surprise you that the guy who recently 'renovated' the ship stole the money?" wrote Jason Jay Smart, correspondent-at-large for the Kyiv Post, on X.

At least a few commentators online joked that the best course of action for the crew was to sail to a port in Florida and defect.

Dire Situation or Just Subs Being Subs?

As Markus noted, Western submarines do also sometimes lose these panels, which are made of rubber. Images of a U.S. Navy Virginia-class sub with panels missing were also posted on X, sparking a heated debate.

At issue could be the titanium hulls of the Yasen M class, according to noted naval researcher and reporter H.I. Sutton. Writing for Forbes.com in 2020, he explained that submarines present some of the greatest engineering challenges due to the temperature and pressure changes they experience.

"The Russian Navy, which operates in the harsh Arctic, faces similar problems. Their challenges are further exacerbated by the titanium hulls of some of its submarines, which appears to be even harder to stick the coating to," Sutton wrote. "So next time you see a submarine with visible scars where the coating has come off, realize that it is a common problem which reflects the hard operating conditions. A fix may be in the works."

The loss of the panels won't impact operational capabilities, but other experts suggest it is just further proof that the Russian Navy does a fairly poor job of maintaining its submarines. Kazan was only commissioned in May 2001, and the trip to Cuba has been heavily promoted by the Kremlin.

See the picture of the Russian nuclear submarine "Kazan" in Cuba. As you can see, it is coming apart at the seams, with a large section of the "Anechoic tiles" (which absorb noises against sonar) that has fallen off. This is the "great super power" showing off...Sheesh... pic.twitter.com/4C2rXbsbgj

— arenmaeir (@arenmaeir) June 17, 2024

One can only imagine how Kazan will look by the time it returns to Russia. It may look worse for wear than the crew after five days in Havana.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu 

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.