Russian and US nuclear submarines collided in Barents Sea in 1992, 47 days after Soviet collapse

Published Aug 17, 12:07 AM UTC

On February 11, 1992, just 47 days after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Russian Sierra-class attack submarine K-276 (later named Kostroma) collided with the US Los Angeles-class submarine USS Baton Rouge (SSN-689) in the Barents Sea near Kildin Island. Neither crew was injured, and both vessels returned to port under their own power. The collision occurred during a US surveillance mission near Russia's Northern Fleet bases. The Russian submarine returned to service within months after repairs, while the damage, combined with refueling costs and force reductions, led to the Baton Rouge becoming the first Los Angeles-class submarine retired. The article analyzes the technical reasons for the blind encounter, including poor passive sonar conditions in shallow, noisy waters and the inherent trade-off between stealth and collision avoidance.