Russian President Vladimir Putin recently declared that Russia has completed the modernization of its naval nuclear weapons. As U.S.-Ukraine ceasefire negotiations remain stalled, doubts about Putin’s willingness to negotiate have grown.
According to meeting notes published by the Kremlin, Putin held a meeting in St. Petersburg last week to discuss the naval development strategy for 2050. Key figures included Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, Commander of the Navy; Anton Alikhanov, Minister of Industry and Trade; Anton Siluanov, Minister of Finance; and Aleksey Dyumin, Secretary of the Security Council.
During the meeting, Putin emphasized that the proportion of modern weapons and equipment in Russia’s strategic nuclear forces had reached “100%” and must be maintained going forward.
This marks the first time Putin has declared 100% completion. Previously, in a video commemorating Defender of the Fatherland Day in February 2023, he stated that with the deployment of the Emperor Alexander III nuclear submarine on combat missions, the proportion of modern weapons and equipment in Russia’s naval strategic nuclear forces would reach 100%. During a defense ministry meeting in December of the same year, he noted that the proportion of modern weapons in Russia’s nuclear forces had increased to 95%, with the naval forces nearly at 100%.
Experts interviewed by this publication suggested that Putin’s “100% modernization” statement may serve as a warning to Western nations supporting Ukraine in the war. Still, overall, they viewed it as closer to propaganda.
John Erath, Senior Policy Director at the U.S. Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, interpreted Putin’s remarks as a reminder that continued support for Ukraine by other countries increases the risk of nuclear war. He explained that by using a vague expression like “reached 100%,” Russia aims to remind the world of its possession of the largest nuclear arsenal without making specific threats about how that power might be used.
He also noted that this is almost the opposite of an actual threat, adding that if Russia uses nuclear intimidation to win the war, it could encourage other dictatorships, especially North Korea, to use nuclear weapons similarly. This suggests that Russia, which opposes North Korea’s nuclear threats, would hesitate to use its own nuclear power recklessly.
Pavel Baev, a professor at the Peace Research Institute in Oslo, remarked that “100% is an interesting statement” but explained that it likely means two aging strategic submarines have been decommissioned. He added that since six submarines of the 667BDRM class, built between 1981 and 1990, are still in active service, they are difficult to classify as modern weapon systems. Baev concluded that Putin’s statement is not entirely honest.
He further noted that such self-congratulatory remarks may not leave a strong impression on Western experts, but the general public or social media might interpret them as Russia maintaining an advantage in nuclear power. In reality, that advantage does not exist.
Instead, he highlighted that while speaking with the crew of the Arkhangelsk nuclear submarine on March 27, Putin told them to disregard rumors of peace negotiations. During this conversation, Putin deflected responsibility for the war and stated that Russia did not start the hostilities and that everything began after the 2014 coup in Ukraine, which Western countries supported.
