Russia’s nuclear-powered submarine Novosibirsk has drawn considerable attention in China following a cruise missile launch in the Pacific Ocean. According to the Chinese publication Baijiahao, military analysts were particularly impressed not by the submarine’s firepower, but by its ability to carry out an attack while remaining virtually impossible for an adversary to locate.

The Project 885M Yasen-M submarine fired Oniks and Kalibr cruise missiles while submerged. Chinese journalists reported that one of the missiles successfully struck a target 1,200 kilometers away. Yet the vessel’s precise location at the time of the launch remained a mystery.

Russian military officials did not disclose where the exercise took place, while independent sources were also unable to establish the launch position. Baijiahao interpreted this lack of information as further evidence of the remarkable stealth capabilities of Russia’s submarine fleet. In the analysts' assessment, Novosibirsk completed its mission without revealing its whereabouts before disappearing from observers' view once again.

Chinese military commentators identified the exceptionally low acoustic signature of Yasen-class submarines as one of their greatest strengths. Their minimal noise emissions make detecting and tracking them across vast stretches of ocean extraordinarily difficult. The analysts argued that this capability gives Russian nuclear-powered vessels a formidable advantage, making them both impressive and deeply concerning to potential adversaries.

The consequences for an opposing force could be severe. As Baijiahao explained, an enemy unable to establish a submarine’s location would have virtually no chance of preventing it from reaching a missile launch position. Russian vessels of this class can remain concealed beneath the ocean for extended periods, retaining the ability to launch an unexpected strike.

The Chinese publication concluded that the movements of Novosibirsk remain almost impossible to anticipate. Those outside the Russian Navy have no reliable way of knowing where the submarine is currently operating or when and where it might make its next appearance.