Russia plans to raise two sunken Soviet nuclear submarines — K-27 645 ZhMT and K-159 Project 627A "Kit." Work will begin in 2027, according to Rosatom.
The draft federal budget for 2026 and the planned period of 2027–2028 provides for the allocation of funds for the rehabilitation of the Arctic seas from sunken and submerged radiation-hazardous objects, starting in 2027.
The project will be financed from the federal budget for 2026–2028. The amount of allocations has not yet been disclosed.
The state program for the development of the nuclear energy industry also provides funds for the safe handling of radioactive waste and the disposal of nuclear legacy facilities. Over the course of three years, it is planned to allocate over 30 billion rubles for these purposes.
K-27 and K-159 are among the seven Soviet and Russian nuclear submarines that have sunk in the world's oceans. K-27 is the only submarine built under Project 645 ZhMT, and the submarine was commissioned in 1963. In 1968, an accident occurred on the submarine, leading to radioactive contamination and the death of nine crew members.
K-159 was commissioned at the same time. It sank during towing in 2003 while located in Snezhnogorsk.
The need to dispose of these submarines has been discussed in Russia for more than 10 years. Metal corrosion is leading to a deterioration in the condition of the submarines. This makes the future recovery more difficult.
Earlier, www1.ru reported that the nuclear submarines "Arkhangelsk" and "Knyaz Pozharsky" will soon join the Russian Navy.