A Russian submarine that just left Cuba appears to be 'falling apart' with its soundproofing panels falling off, analyst says

• Russian naval ships left Cuba on Monday after a five-day official visit.
• The Kazan submarine appeared to have visible damage, including panels falling off, an analyst said.

One of Russia's newest and most advanced submarines, which just left Cuba, appears to be "falling apart" and to have damage to its hull, an open-source-intelligence analyst said.

Marijn Markus, a managing consultant at Capgemini, shared four photos of the nuclear-powered Kazan in a LinkedIn post on Monday.

Markus said it appeared the sub's soundproofing panels were "falling off" the front part of the submarine's hull. He said that would make the vessel "very" loud underwater and compromise its stealth capabilities.

He also pointed to what he described as a "gaping" hole at the sub's midsection.

"While docked, Russian divers were seen around the sub, presumably trying to repair the tin tub," he said.

Markus didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

However, military experts told BI that the damage seen in the photos is common and probably wouldn't affect the sub's operational capabilities.

Richard Kouyoumdjian Inglis, an officer in Chile's naval reserve, told BI that tiles are made of rubber and can get loose and fall off.

Losing a lot of the tiles would make the sub easier to find, Inglis said, but the photos showed only a few tiles were missing, which wouldn't be enough to make a difference.

"Russian naval vessels are not state of the art and sometimes are not well maintained, but that does not mean something catastrophic will happen," he said.

John Hardie, the deputy director of the Russia Program at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, told BI that these tiles falling off is a "quite common" problem for all navies, including the US Navy.

Meanwhile, Mark C, a former Royal Navy submariner who declined to provide his last name, citing work-related crossovers, said the vessel appeared to have some operational wear and tear but would be capable of performing its role.

"So it's very possible it will continue its exercises," he told BI.

The Kazan, along with three Russian surface ships, left Havana's port in Cuba on Monday after a five-day official visit that included planned military drills in the Atlantic, The Associated Press reported.

The fleet's next destination is unclear, though US officials said a few days ago it could stop in Venezuela, the AP reported.

The US and its Western allies have been concerned about the relatively new Kazan class of submarines for years, citing its ability to strike targets on land and at sea with little advance warning.

An unnamed US official said Russia sending warships to Cuba was an attempt to show that its navy is still a global power despite the heavy losses it's sustained during the war with Ukraine, the AP reported earlier this month.