A new information emerges every other day about Russia's Project 971 Shchuka-B (NATO reporting name: Akula) class nuclear-powered submarines. Speaking to Russian Defence Ministry television Zvezda, an official said that they followed an adversary submarine for days unnoticed at the Barents Strait. The Russian officer said, “We have been following for days since the first contact without being noticed which means a record for Russian naval capabilities in terms of pursue.”

The Independent Barents Observer newspaper reported that the nationality of the foreign submarine was not disclosed, but that it was thought to be a NATO submarine. The US and its allies are increasing military assets in response to growing tension in the region. Currently, two US nuclear-powered submarines, USS Connecticut and USS Hartford, carry out joint exercises with the UK Navy's Trafalgar-class HMS Trenchant submarine in the North Pole.

The average depth of the Barents Sea, which is named after Dutch sailor Willem Barents, is 230 meters.