China Navy Zhou-class Damaged

The first Type 041 Zhou-class nuclear-powered attack submarine sank alongside its pier at the Wuchang shipyard in Wuhan in late May or early June 2024 while completing its fitting out, a senior U.S. defence official said on 28 September 2024, according to Defense News and The War Zone. Satellite imagery reviewed by both outlets showed crane barges clustered at the berth in mid-June and a submarine back at the same dock by 25 August, indicating the boat had been raised. China did not acknowledge the incident, and it was unclear whether the reactor was fuelled at the time; U.S. officials detected no sign of a radiation release, Defense News reported.