An 8.8 magnitude earthquake that rattled Russia’s eastern coast this week sent waves crashing into one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s most prized military installations, his Pacific Fleet’s nuclear submarine base,

Satellite images taken after Tuesday's 8.8-magnitude earthquake show a large pier at the Rybachiy submarine base snapped in half.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called the expansion of Russia’s submarine fleet “crucial” in ensuring Russia’s sovereignty and security, the state-run TASS news agency reported Thursday. At a meeting in Severodvinsk,