Russia to commission new strategic submarine

MOSCOW - Russia's newest strategic nuclear submarine Yuri Dolgoruky is to be put into service on Thursday, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.

The fourth-generation Borei-class sub, with new and improved ballistic missile capabilities, is one of the eight major projects to be completed by 2020 that aim to form the core of the Russian Navy's nuclear deterrence strategy over the coming decades.

Designed by the Rubin bureau in St. Petersburg, the submarine is 170m long and 13.5m wide, with a diving depth of 450 meters.

Later this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit the naval base in the northern port city of Severomorsk, where the submarine is stationed. He will participate in the commissioning ceremony via video link, according to the Kremlin press service.

The total cost of the new submarine was estimated at 23 billion rubles ($750 million).