Powerful Explosion Rocks Russian Pacific Fleet Naval Base
On August 26, a powerful explosion occurred in Primorsky Krai, Russia, in Peter the Great Gulf. Residents of Volchanets village, near which the Pacific Fleet's naval base in Fokino is located, reported it. Eyewitnesses filmed a thick column of smoke rising over the sea, writes The Moscow Times.
Illustrative photo
According to local residents, military personnel were present in the area after the explosion. However, there have been no official reports from the Russian Ministry of Defense regarding the incident.
The Pacific Fleet is currently conducting exercises. The day before, Tu-142 anti-submarine aircraft searched for submarines near the Kuril Islands and practiced bombing a simulated enemy submarine. Tactical exercises for naval aviation, involving live firing and the use of weapons, are also planned in the immediate vicinity of the explosion. They are scheduled to take place on August 27–28 at the naval training ground in Anna Bay, approximately 25 kilometers from Nakhodka.
The Pacific Fleet boasts one of the largest submarine groupings within the Russian Navy. In August 2026, it comprised 20 submarines. Among them are five strategic nuclear ballistic missile submarines of the "Borei" and "Borei-A" projects, capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Another eight submarines are multi-purpose nuclear-powered, and seven are diesel-electric. It is reported that 16 of the 20 submarines were combat-ready.
In recent months, the Russian Ministry of Defense has begun installing special structures on submarines for protection against drones. Satellite images also showed several submarines at the Pacific Fleet's Kamchatka base covered with anti-drone nets. Similar defenses have been installed at the Northern Fleet's base in Gadzhiyevo, Murmansk Oblast.
This is occurring amidst Ukraine's expanding capabilities to strike remote Russian targets with drones. In August, drones reached Arkhangelsk Oblast for the first time, approximately 1900 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Drones were also observed over Severodvinsk, where the White Sea Naval Base of the Northern Fleet is located. Due to the threat of attack, mass events in the city were even canceled on August 22.