Three Russian nuclear submarines simultaneously broke through a thick layer of ice during an exercise in the Arctic, a naval commander said on Friday.
The synchronous maneuver is the first in the history of the Russian Navy, commander-in-chief Nikolai Yevmenov said during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin.
A video released by the military showed the nuclear-powered submarines rising from beneath the 1.5-metre layer of ice, a few hundred metres apart from one another. The crews then appeared from the hatches.
Video: Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation.
More than 600 military and civilian personnel took part in the exercise in temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius.
Arctic expeditions
Putin instructed the Navy to continue its expeditions in the Arctic to protect Russia's security, according to a report by Interfax news agency.
With the manoeuvre, Moscow is keen to show its presence in the Arctic region.
Several other states including the US also lay claim to parts of the area, thought to be home to huge oil and gas reserves.
