A Russian propagandist has mocked the capabilities of the US Navy’s submarine fleet following Donald Trump’s decision to move two American nuclear submarines closer to Russia last week.
The move came after Trump was angered by remarks from Putin’s close ally Dmitry Medvedev, who criticized the US President for issuing the Kremlin an ultimatum for peace talks in Ukraine. According to The Daily Express, Trump had originally given Russia 50 days to conclude a deal or face punitive tariffs on oil exports, before reducing the timeline to “10 or 12 days”. The submarine deployment was seen as a show of force in response to Russian criticism, though Trump has a controversial history with military decisions of his negotiating tactics regarding the Ukraine conflict.
Appearing on a talk show on the state TV channel Russia 1, Alexey Leonkov poured scorn on American submarine capabilities. He claimed that the US Navy currently only had six of its submarines on combat duty, which he said was “less than 10%” of the total US submarine fleet. By contrast, he boasted that Russia had over 30% of its submarine fleet actively deployed on current missions, before adding: “The Americans still can’t find them!”
Russian official claims submarine superiority over US fleet
Leonkov continued his critique by suggesting that American naval commanders lack knowledge of their own submarine locations. He stated that if asked where submarines are currently positioned, US naval officials “can only point to those at their home ports,” but “still don’t know where the ones that went on missions are.” The Russian commentator used this claim to suggest superior Russian submarine stealth capabilities.
— Glenn Roth (@groth1945) August 5, 2025
My Friends &Fellow Americans!Kremlin spokesperson Peskov downplays Trump's nuclear submarine threat as president confirms Submarines in the region~Peskov you ass backwards.Russia deploying Russian military Aircraft into Alaska EEZ.PAYBACK STOP NOW
https://t.co/DZ0JyzMdTT
The propagandist reminded viewers of Russia’s submarine deployment to Cuba last year, when Moscow sent the frigate Admiral Gorshkov and the nuclear-powered Kazan submarine to the Caribbean island. The visit was seen as a demonstration of Russian naval power, and the vessels’ arrival was met with a 21-gun salute, with Kremlin diplomats waving Russian flags and taking photographs against the backdrop of Havana’s historic fortresses.
Leonkov described the Cuban deployment as ‘a total surprise and shock’ for American forces. He claimed that when the Russian submarine surfaced near Cuba, it carried Zircon cruise missiles that the Americans do not possess. According to his account, the US sent a Los Angeles-class submarine to follow the Russian vessel but “couldn’t catch or find” it. The Russian official concluded by asserting that Russia currently has technological advantages in submarine warfare, pointing to recent launches of Borei-class and Project 885M submarines as evidence of Moscow’s advancing naval capabilities compared to what he characterized as America’s aging fleet.
