Decommissioning the Russian Far East Fleet's nuclear submarines

Abstract

During the Cold War, the Soviet Union built up the largest fleet of nuclear-propelled submarines in the world, with something under half of them stationed in the Far East. Since the demise of the Soviet Union many of these vessels have been taken out of service, either as a consequence of arms control agreements or, more pressingly, because of lack of funds. They are now resting in various states of neglect and decay in harbours and inlets around the coastline of the Russian Far East.