Russian Nuclear Submarine Construction Plants are No Longer Protected by S-300/400 SAMs

Russia has withdrawn a significant portion of the air defense systems protecting the shipyards where nuclear submarines are built in Severodvinsk.

Barents Observer reported on this, citing an analysis of satellite imagery from 2024–2026.

At least two dozen S-300 and S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems have been withdrawn from two key defensive positions in the north of the country due to a shortage of missiles and the need to strengthen air defense in other regions.

The weakening of defenses has affected the protection of Severodvinsk, home to the Sevmash and Zvezdochka shipyards. Sevmash is Russia’s sole nuclear submarine construction facility, while the neighboring Zvezdochka shipyard handles their repair and modernization.

Since the Cold War, the 1528th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment, part of the Leningrad Military District, has been responsible for guarding these facilities. However, the latest satellite imagery indicates that the defensive positions on Yagry Island and Mironova Gora have been effectively dismantled.

There were two batteries on Yagry Island, where S-300 launchers had previously been deployed. At present, the forward operating base appears to be abandoned: the radar stations used for target illumination and missile guidance, as well as the containers for storing spare ammunition, have disappeared from the site.

A similar situation is observed on Mironova Mountain, located 12 km from the shipyards. As early as 2024, there were eight S-300 launchers on combat alert and target-illumination radars there, all of which had completely disappeared from images taken in 2025–2026.

The deaths of servicemen from this regiment in the combat zone likely confirm the redeployment of forces. In particular, Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Spiridonov, commander of an S-400 division from Severodvinsk, was killed in occupied Crimea in late April 2024.

The officer’s obituary confirmed his service in the 1528th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment and his death while carrying out missions during the so-called “special military operation.” The lieutenant colonel was buried in a cemetery near a deserted position on Mironova Mountain.

Previously, the deployment of forces from other regions to defend Crimea had also been documented elsewhere. In late 2023, Bellingcat investigators confirmed the transfer of S-400 batteries from the Kaliningrad region to Rostov-on-Don and Crimea.

The redeployment is taking place amid regular strikes by Ukrainian drones on infrastructure deep within Russian territory. In particular, drones recently attacked an oil refinery in Omsk, located 2,500 km from the border with Ukraine.

Severodvinsk is located 1,500 km from the territory controlled by Ukraine, making it vulnerable to potential attacks.