Steel predator of the Northern Fleet: A tour of the Akula nuclear sub

On July 26, Russia marks Navy Day, an annual celebration in honor of the country’s fleet. To mark the occasion, RBTH correspondent Oleg Kuleshov ventured inside the largest submarine in the world, an Akula-class vessel, where he found out more about the conditions on board – as well as the initiation rites servicemen undergo to become a real submariner.

At the end of June the Dmitry Donskoi nuclear submarine left Severodvinsk, the principal base of the Northern Fleet. It entered the White Sea on a mission, one objective of which is to interact with Russia's antisubmarine forces.

This is a unique vessel. The submarines of this series (Project 941, or Typhoon, according to NATO's classification) are considered the biggest in the world.

Read more