A powerful tsunami triggered by a magnitude 8.8 earthquake has reportedly struck Russia’s secret nuclear submarine base in Kamchatka. Satellite images obtained by The Telegraph show severe damage to the pier at the Rybachiy base, a key facility of Russia’s Pacific Fleet.

Satellite images reveal a pier shift after a tsunami strike

According to Umbra Space, one of the docking structures was displaced at a “terrifying angle,” indicating the pier may have been partially torn from its foundation. No submarine was docked at the time of the impact, but the base’s vulnerability raises serious concerns. One image shows a submarine moored at the same pier as recently as 17 July.

The nuclear fleet base, just 75 miles from the epicenter struck by a natural disaster

Rybachiy is located in Avacha Bay, only 120 km (75 miles) from the quake’s epicenter. The base hosts Russia’s newest Borei-class and older Delta-class submarines.

Nearby facilities include Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and other strategic military sites.

Although the Kremlin insists the infrastructure is “fully earthquake-proof,” experts warn that even minor pier damage could compromise combat readiness.

Experts question the safety of fleet concentration in one port

Analysts stress that concentrating so many submarines in a single location is a strategic risk.

“This is why having multiple bases is a good idea, because you never know when you’re going to get rogered by something you haven’t seen coming,” said retired Royal Navy officer Tom Sharpe.

He also criticized the pier’s construction.

“It looks classically Russian. Taped on,” he adds. 

While Russian sources deny any major damage, the base’s vulnerability to natural disasters casts doubt on the Pacific Fleet’s readiness for emergency scenarios.

German company Hensoldt AG says it has received an order worth € 340 million to supply Ukraine’s air defense forces with TRML-4D and SPEXER 2000 3D MkIII radar systems. These radar systems have already been in use in Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion.

“Our high-performance radars are urgently needed by Ukrainian air defence,” says Hensoldt CEO Oliver Dörre, emphasizing that the company is proud to supply systems that are “critically important for protecting civilians.”

What is TRML-4D?

TRML-4D radars are based on advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array technology. They can simultaneously detect and track up to 1,500 targets within a radius of up to 250 km, including drones, aircraft, helicopters, and cruise missiles.

Their fast response time and ability to operate under complex conditions make TRML-4D systems essential in providing precise countermeasures against Russian aerial attacks.

SPEXER 2000 is the “eyes” of Skyranger guns

SPEXER 2000 3D MkIII systems are designed for the automatic detection and classification of ground, maritime, and low-flying aerial targets. They are integrated into the Rheinmetall Skyranger 30 air defense gun system, which provides close-range and very short-range protection.

The system is based on the wheeled armored Boxer vehicle, equipped with a combat module featuring a 30mm Swiss Oerlikon KCA gun firing 1,200 rounds per minute. Optionally, it can be fitted with a launcher for two FIM-92 Stinger or Mistral missiles, according to Militarnyi. 

The gun’s ammunition includes a wide range of shells, including airburst rounds with radio fuses. The total ammunition load consists of 252 30mm shells. The vehicle is equipped with five antennas, providing full 360-degree coverage.

It also features the Rheinmetall FIRST passive target acquisition system, which excels at detecting small targets. Since it emits no radar signal, the system can operate without being detected by enemy electronic intelligence.

The system is a part of Germany’s NNbS program, a new short-range air defense “umbrella” for the Bundeswehr, meaning Ukraine is receiving the best from NATO’s arsenal.

Poland is finalizing a deal on investing in the satellite firm that spotted Russian troops moving toward Ukraine before Moscow’s full-scale invasion, the Financial Times reports. Iceye provided Ukraine with early radar imagery in early 2022 is going to expand production.

Poland takes stake in Iceye, the company that helped Ukraine spot Russian forces

FT says Poland is at the final stages of an agreement to buy equity in Iceye, a Polish-Finnish satellite company whose radar systems helped Ukraine detect Russian troop buildups ahead of the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Iceye’s chief executive Rafał Modrzewski confirmed the deal, which will be made through Poland’s national development bank. He did not disclose the size of the investment.

The satellite firm that spotted Russian troops—now valued at well over $1bn—has already raised $550mn from investors. Modrzewski said the new funding would allow Iceye to rapidly expand production to meet soaring demand for real-time defense imagery. The deal follows Poland’s $230mn purchase in May of up to six Iceye satellites.

Founded in 2014 by Modrzewski and Finnish co-founder Pekka Laurila, Iceye began by providing radar data to Arctic shipping routes. That business collapsed after Western sanctions cut off the Russian market, prompting a pivot to military applications. Iceye’s synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can see through cloud cover and at night—making it indispensable in battlefield conditions where optical satellites fail.

Iceye to ramp up satellite output as demand for defense tech soars

Modrzewski told the Financial Times that Iceye plans to grow its manufacturing capacity from 25 satellites a year to as many as 150. Each satellite costs around $20 million to build.

Iceye has launched 54 so far, with about half operated by national defense forces in countries including the Netherlands, Finland, Brazil, and Portugal. In 2024, Iceye signed a memorandum of cooperation with Ukraine to deepen collaboration. Most launches have taken place from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base or Florida’s Cape Canaveral, though missions have also originated from India and New Zealand.

Strategic partnerships and global reach

Beyond Poland, Iceye is expanding through international partnerships. It recently created a joint venture with Rheinmetall to manufacture satellites in Germany, aiming to tap into the country’s rising defense budget and connect with its weapons systems.

A Ukrainian drone strike on Russian air defenses has disabled multiple radar systems and surface-to-air missile launchers in the Donetsk sector, eastern Ukraine, Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR) reported. The latest footage released by HUR shows their elite Prymary (“Ghosts”) unit destroying key Russian military hardware during precision drone attacks in the occupied part of the oblast.

Prymary strikes radar systems and S-300V launchers near occupied Donetsk

HUR released video footage of the operation on its official YouTube channel, showing accurate drone strikes on two S-300V launchers and five radar systems, supporting these launchers and other Russian air defense assets. The S-300V is primarily designed to intercept operational-tactical missiles and serves as a key element of Russia’s anti-missile defense network. However, Russian forces have been also using such launchers in a secondary role — to fire on ground targets, including residential areas in Ukrainian cities.

According to the description accompanying the HUR video, Prymary fighters continue to “systematically weaken Russian air defense — now in the Donetsk direction.” The agency confirmed the destruction of:

• three 48Ya6-K1 Podlyot radar stations, designed to detect targets at low and extremely low altitudes in complex electronic warfare conditions;
• two Niobiy-SV radar stations, used to track aerial targets at medium and high altitudes at distances of up to 200–300 kilometers;
• two S-300V launchers, part of a surface-to-air missile system primarily used to intercept operational-tactical missiles, and also employed by Russian forces in a secondary ground-strike role;
• and one P-18 radar station, a Soviet-era two-coordinate system capable of determining only azimuth and distance, but not altitude.

Official footage shows direct drone hits on Russian systems

The video published by HUR shows direct drone strikes on the listed radar systems and missile launchers. However, the FPV footage cuts off at the moment of impact, and the aftermath is not shown. Still, the accuracy of the strikes indicates that the targeted Russian air defense assets were at least damaged, if not destroyed. 

Ukraine’s new Magura W6P naval drone patrols 1000 km, offering longer range and smarter sea reconnaissance, Militarnyi reports. This latest model shifts from strike operations to focus on maritime patrol and intelligence gathering. Militarnyi’s correspondent visited a closed presentation of the new maritime robotic system, recently organized by Ukraine’s HUR military intelligence agency.

Magura W6P naval drone patrols 1000 km with enhanced stability and sensors

Magura W6P replaces kamikaze capabilities with advanced reconnaissance systems and an extended operational radius from 800 km to 1000 km. Unlike its predecessor Magura v5, which reached speeds up to 50 knots, the W6P has a top speed of 36 knots and cruises at 21 knots powered by a 200-horsepower Suzuki DF200 gasoline engine. This change favors endurance over speed for longer patrols.

The drone features a unique trimaran hull with two outriggers, increasing stability at sea and reducing side rolling during waves or movement. This design also expands the deck width to 2 meters, providing space for mounting equipment such as launch containers for strike FPV drones, although the W6P itself no longer performs kamikaze attacks. The full loaded weight is 1,900 kg, including a 400 kg payload capacity.

Advanced radar, optical systems, and satellite communications enhance reconnaissance

Magura W6P is equipped with a gyro-stabilized optical station featuring day and thermal imaging channels. The drone’s onboard Furuno radar detects ships up to 30 kilometers away and large tankers up to 60 kilometers, though the low antenna height may reduce this range. Smaller boats can be detected within 7 kilometers.

Additionally, the drone uses a multichannel satellite communication system to maintain control despite enemy electronic warfare attempts.

Magura W6P part of Ukraine’s growing naval drone defense system

Ukraine’s naval forces and developers are working to integrate unmanned systems like Magura W6P into a comprehensive maritime defense network. These drones will patrol, locate, and help neutralize threats in Ukraine’s waters.