Russian military officials have issued a stark and highly public warning to Donald Trump following reports that the former president authorized the clandestine movement of U.S. nuclear submarines near Russian territorial waters — a move Moscow now claims “violated international stability” and brought the world to “the edge of irreversible escalation.”
According to intelligence leaks first detailed by Politico’s security desk, Trump ordered a series of “strategic posturing maneuvers” involving Ohio-class submarines in the Arctic and North Atlantic regions during a closed-door meeting with defense contractors and retired Navy officials. The Pentagon initially declined to comment, but after pressure from House Intelligence Chair Rep. Maritza Cole, a Department of Defense official confirmed under oath that multiple vessels were repositioned without coordination from the Joint Chiefs.
BREAKING: Russia just issued a direct warning to Trump after unauthorized nuclear submarine movements near their border. They’re calling it an “act of escalation.” Things are spiraling FAST. ⚠️— @IntelByBlake (@IntelByBlake) August 5, 2025
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti that Trump’s actions represent “the kind of aggression one would expect from a rogue regime,” and accused him of undermining decades of nuclear protocol. The warning was broadcast during a nationally televised press conference, where Russian military officials displayed satellite imagery allegedly showing the USS Tennessee and USS Nebraska surfacing near the Barents Sea in mid-July.
The decision to move the submarines came weeks after Trump was spotted meeting privately with former U.S. Navy Admiral Jeffery Prescott at a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser, as confirmed in a New York Times investigative feature. Though the purpose of the meeting was kept off public schedules, insiders told the paper it centered around “reclaiming deterrence leverage.”
Moscow’s response has included the immediate redeployment of two Borei-class submarines to the Arctic Ocean, according to military updates shared by TASS, and a direct diplomatic demand for the U.S. State Department to confirm whether the movements were approved under official channels. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, during a press appearance in Geneva, said the administration “did not authorize or initiate any military repositioning in that region,” effectively distancing the Biden administration from the unfolding crisis.
So let me get this straight. Trump moved nuclear submarines without informing the Pentagon. Russia responded with a threat. And now the White House is cleaning up the fallout. We’re not in Kansas anymore. 🌍— @MayaCivicsNow (@MayaCivicsNow) August 5, 2025
National Security Advisor Leon Bates told The Atlantic that the incident is being treated as a “breach of command boundaries” and confirmed that internal investigations are underway to determine which former military officials assisted in facilitating the operation. Some members of Congress are now demanding criminal charges, with Sen. Audrey Lin calling it “an illegal act of militaristic freelancing by a civilian.”
The reappearance of Ohio-class submarines — which are capable of carrying up to 24 Trident II ballistic missiles — raised immediate alarms among NATO allies. According to diplomatic notes leaked to Der Spiegel, French and German defense officials were not briefed ahead of the maneuvers and interpreted the move as a provocation that jeopardized Arctic de-escalation agreements signed in 2022.
Trump moved subs into the Arctic unilaterally. Russia responded with a threat. NATO wasn’t told. Biden’s team says they’re in the dark. This isn’t strategy. It’s chaos in uniform. 🧨— @MilitaryEthicsX (@MilitaryEthicsX) August 5, 2025
Tensions have worsened since the Russian Defense Ministry issued a formal declaration that any further unauthorized naval movements near their northern coastline will be met with “full-spectrum retaliation.” A retired Russian general speaking on Rossiya-24 state television claimed that hypersonic torpedoes were placed on standby and warned that “the next maneuver like this will not be tolerated with silence.”
International law scholars interviewed by Brookings emphasized that Trump’s actions, if confirmed, would likely violate the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which requires states to notify others of submarine deployments near exclusive economic zones. The UN Security Council is expected to hold a closed session later this week, with diplomats from multiple countries pushing for emergency hearings.
Trump has not denied the reports. In a Truth Social post made just hours after Russia’s statement, he wrote, “America needs strength. They only respect strength. We showed them what leadership looks like.” The post was viewed more than 12 million times in under three hours and has since been pinned to his account.
The former president’s rhetoric has drawn sharp criticism from defense experts, including Admiral Elisa Morgan, who told NPR’s Morning Edition that “these actions aren’t strategic — they’re performative. And they’re dangerous.” She added that such provocations erode the very command structure that keeps nuclear forces from spiraling out of control.
Privately, Pentagon officials are said to be furious. A leaked internal memo, verified by The Intercept, outlines concerns about “precedent, security compromise, and uncontrolled military influence by non-command actors.” One senior official reportedly described the submarine movement as “a political stunt with radioactive consequences.”
Cybersecurity experts are also raising alarms. Analysts at MIT’s Center for International Studies warned that any improperly logged or unauthorized deployment risks digital tracking by hostile powers. If Russia was able to identify the submarines in near real-time, it could indicate deep flaws in U.S. satellite obfuscation protocols or potential whistleblowers within the Navy.
The geopolitical aftermath may grow wider than expected. China has already weighed in, with its foreign ministry issuing a veiled rebuke calling for “responsible behavior from all actors, especially those no longer in power but still creating instability.” That statement, according to South China Morning Post, is seen as Beijing’s strongest criticism of Trump’s defense behavior since his exit from office.
As it stands, both Russian and American submarines remain deployed in the region, though neither side has confirmed exact coordinates. Defense journalists tracking naval movements through MarineTraffic and OSINT channels say the data suggests a tense standoff just outside Russian-claimed waters.
The White House has reiterated that it was not consulted, and President Biden has asked the House Armed Services Committee to draft new legislation clarifying “boundaries and oversight for all former officials engaged in military coordination.” It remains unclear whether such a law would be enforceable retroactively.
