Retired colonel and military expert Viktor Litovkin says Western reconnaissance satellites, including those of the United States, are unable to track Russian submarines operating in the Arctic.

He explained that submarines hidden under the Arctic ice are effectively invisible from above and argued that no Western intelligence satellite, «above all American ones», can pinpoint the position of a Russian boat in those conditions.

Litovkin also noted that Russian Navy submarines are capable of striking an enemy directly from a polynya — an opening in the ice. He drew attention to the fact that many submarines of the Northern Fleet bear visible dents on their sail. In his view, these marks indicate that the boats have worked under Arctic ice, using the sail to break through the ice in order to surface and obtain the opportunity to launch a missile.

The expert added that Russian submarines can employ special torpedoes designed to smash the ice and create a passage for the vessel to come up to the surface.

Litovkin reminded that strategic missile submarines usually do not operate under the ice alone, but with the support of multipurpose nuclear-powered submarines. According to him, a Borey-class submarine goes on patrol paired with a Yasen-class boat, which, if necessary, can attack an adversary’s submarine and shield the Russian strategic vessel.