In a very unusual event, an American attack submarine was painted on the wall of a local house in the Russian town of Gadzhievo, which hosts one of Russia’s most powerful submarine bases.
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The incident generated a lot of buzz on the internet. In a social media post about the painting, representatives from the town enthusiastically exclaim — “Look, what a beauty.” The house in the center of the town portrays a submarine in a surface position encircled by wild waters.
The painting quickly drew a lot of attention from locals. The wall in Gadzhievo depicts a US submarine, most likely of the Los Angeles-Class.
The American nuclear-powered rapid attack submarine can carry a large number of torpedoes, Tomahawks, and Harpoon missiles and is a frequent visitor to the Barents Sea, where it chases Russian submarines.
Gadzhievo is home to most of the country’s new strategic Borei-class submarines and the Yasen multipurpose attack submarines.
A resident on the town’s VK Facebook page argues that someone must bear responsibility for the action.
“How disgusting! Why paint an enemy vessel?” reads the comment. “We have our own submarines, and they are far more beautiful than our foes,” the person adds.
“Shame on the town administration!” another user writes.
Meanwhile, town officials claim that the painting was chosen through a poll in which citizens were asked to participate. According to the administration, the US submarine received the most votes.
On another local VK page, many people also call on the FSB to intervene. “I suggest that representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office and the FSB deal with this issue before the whole country sees this shameful act,” a user wrote.
Another person demands that the artist and local authorities be penalized for “discrediting the Russian Armed Forces” under the new regulations. Following the current onslaught on Ukraine, the new regulations were enacted, resulting in heavy penalties and the arrest of anti-war protestors.
A person comments on the picture, calling it a “mockery of the soul of every submariner.” “This submarine is not only foreign; it belongs to the enemy. It has been the main opponent of our submarine forces over the last 30 years,” he adds. “What kind of feelings will our submariners parade around the local streets next to this picture?”
Gadzhievo is around 50 kilometers north of Murmansk. It is part of the Aleksandrovsk closed military municipality. The town has a population of around 13,000 people.
Russian Naval Forces
Meanwhile, dozens of Russian ships participated in military maneuvers in the strategic Baltic Sea on Thursday. According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, ships from the Baltic fleet would “perform training tasks for the defense of sea lanes and fleet bases.”
The Navy maneuvers come as tensions between Moscow and NATO have escalated following Sweden and Finland’s efforts to join the US-led NATO alliance.
Russia would become the only non-NATO country on the Baltic Sea if Sweden’s and Finland’s membership is approved, which is currently opposed by Turkey.
In a show of support for Finland and Sweden joining NATO, US Chief of Staff General Mark Milley arrived in Stockholm aboard the USS Kearsage, the largest US warship ever to dock in Stockholm.
His visit coincided with NATO’s annual naval maneuvers in the Baltic Sea known as “Baltops 22,” which is scheduled to last until June 17.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, five Russian Navy vessels were detected in the Pacific Ocean off the northern prefecture of Hokkaido, according to Japan’s Defense Ministry. The ships’ movements are most likely part of a massive naval drill conducted by Russia.
On Friday, a Maritime Self-Defense Force vessel confirmed that the Russian ships, which included a destroyer and a frigate, were around 170 kilometers southeast of the Nemuro Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido, the ministry said.
Previously, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that a large Pacific practice involving over 40 vessels and roughly 20 planes would take place at the end of this week.
Moscow has also reportedly issued navigation warnings in connection with the drill, citing the possibility of missile launches and other activities in waters near the Kuril Islands, as well as waters off Japan’s Sanriku area.
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