---
title: "Check Out The World’s Largest Submarine As It Sails Into The Tense Baltic Sea"
description: "The two Cold War era behemoths are just two of dozens of Russian and Chinese warships that will be in the Baltic Sea during the coming days."
date: "2017-07-22"
modified: "2017-07-22"
authors:
  - name: "Tyler Rogoway"
    job_title: "Editor-in-Chief"
    link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/tyler-rogoway.md"
url: "https://www.twz.com/12758/check-out-the-worlds-largest-submarine-as-it-sails-into-the-tense-baltic-sea"
categories:
  - "Around The Globe"
  - "Boomers (SSBNs)"
  - "Cruisers"
  - "Europe"
  - "Kirov class"
  - "Navies"
  - "News & Features"
  - "Northern Europe"
  - "Russian Navy"
  - "Sea"
  - "Submarines"
  - "Typhoon Class"
tags:
  - "baltic"
  - "Danish Straits"
  - "denmark"
  - "Dmitry Donskoy"
  - "Great Belt"
  - "Kirov class"
  - "Piotr Velikiy"
  - "russia"
  - "st. petersburg"
  - "Submarine"
  - "Subs"
  - "Typhoon class"
---

# Check Out The World’s Largest Submarine As It Sails Into The Tense Baltic Sea

![](<https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-twz/content/2017/07/kahdh5251.jpg>)
*www.twz.com*

Last April, [we first reported](<https://www.twz.com/8972/russia-reportedly-sending-worlds-largest-submarine-to-the-baltic-sea.md>) on Russia's plan to send the world's largest submarine, the [*Typhoon* class](<https://www.twz.com/8196/this-photo-of-connery-and-baldwin-on-the-hunt-for-red-october-set-is-nuts.md>)

*Dmitry Donskoy*, and the Russian Navy's largest surface combatant, the [*Kirov* class](<https://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/russias-kirov-class-battlecruiser-fleet-is-expanding-an-1763392754>) nuclear powered battlecruiser *Piotr Velikiy*, into the Baltic Sea. After [leaving port just four days](<https://www.twz.com/12560/russias-largest-nuclear-powered-sub-and-warship-have-set-sail-to-the-baltic-sea.md>) ago, the two vessels have now made their way through the Danish Straits and into that increasingly tense body of water.

The two iconic vessels, both relics of the highpoint of Soviet engineering, have been accompanied by the seagoing [tug boat *Nikolai Chiker*](<https://www.twz.com/6842/russian-carrier-headed-home-after-just-two-months-off-syrian-coast.md>) throughout their journey—another reminder that Russia's[ largest naval ships](<https://www.twz.com/6091/what-oddities-can-you-spot-in-this-tour-of-russias-aging-aircraft-carrier.md>) are not necessarily known for their reliability. This is especially an issue when those ships are moving through tight waterways controlled by wary neighbors, and the world is watching.

https://youtube.com/embed/BOPz-mJAs6w

https://youtube.com/embed/1nRkKoAd4T4

https://youtube.com/embed/IkVKMdCv_Js

*Here are some awesome top-down photos from the Danish defense forces of Dmitry Donskoy and Piotr Velikiy as they enter the Baltic Sea (click the tweet to enlarge each shot), as well as a photo of Dmitry Donskoy passing under Great Belt bridge. Both vessels had to take this route because their deep drafts:*

https://twitter.com/_/status/888452733052874753

https://twitter.com/_/status/888452220555067392

The *Donskoy* has made its entire transit from its berth near the Northern Fleet headquarters in

Severomorsk while surfaced—which is not the most enjoyable way for a submarine to travel. The big submarine has also stayed in loose formation with *Piotr Velikiy* and their tugboat chaperone.

Force protection around the vessels looks surprisingly light, and a single armed soldier was seen standing alone on the conning tower of the *Donskoy.*

![message-editor%2F1500714626890-screenshot2017-07-22at2.09.57am.png](<https://www.twz.com/wp-content/uploads/message-editor/1500714626890-screenshot2017-07-22at2.09.57am.png>)
*A single armed soldier stands guard atop the *Donskoy's* massive conning tower. The US Navy also often places an armed sailor with a light machine gun on a submarine's sail when traveling through tight waters while surfaced. , *Screenshot via [Danmark Tv2](<https://nyheder.tv2.dk/samfund/2017-07-21-se-enorm-russisk-atomubaad-sejle-i-dansk-farvand>)**

Both ships, along with roughly ten others from the Northern Fleet and many more from the Baltic Fleet, are to take part in a large naval parade on July 30th in St. Petersburg. The event is being put on to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Russian Navy.

A Chinese naval task force of three vessels, including an example of Beijing's most advanced operational surface combatant, is [also set to enter](<https://www.twz.com/12656/chinese-naval-group-in-baltic-sea-at-same-time-as-russias-biggest-sub-and-cruiser.md>) the confines of the Baltic Sea for naval drills with the Russians. This all equates to a huge amount of Russian naval firepower being concentrated in "NATO's swimming pool" at the same time, raising tensions in an already [highly tense region](<https://www.twz.com/11372/this-russian-su-27-pulled-off-the-ultimate-photo-bomb-on-u-s-bombers.md>).

*Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com*

## Author
Tyler’s passion is the study of military technology, strategy, as well as foreign policy, and he has fostered a dominant voice on those topics in the defense and national security space. Tyler was the creator of the hugely popular defense site *Foxtrot Alpha* before developing *TWZ*, which he continues to lead as the Editor-In-Chief to this day.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/Aviation_Intel>)