Russia has tried and failed to test its pioneering ‘doomsday’ torpedo, American intelligence sources believe, in a possible sign that the sanctions against Moscow could be starting to work.

The nuclear-powered torpedo, named Poseidon, is launched from the Belgorod – the world’s largest submarine, which only went into service this summer.

The Belgorod was unveiled to great fanfare in 2019, and the Poseidon torpedoes – first revealed in 2015 – are seen as the crown jewels of the submarine.

See Also:

Ancient Bronze statues of Apollo and Hygeia Unearthed in Italy

Russia boasted at the time that Poseidon would be capable of destroying entire cities by triggering a tsunami.

But on Thursday, US sources told CNN they had observed the Belgorod preparing for a test – then leaving the testing area in the Arctic Sea, and returning to port without carrying out the trial.

Read more: Daily Mail