There will be new Russian nuclear submarines patrolling the southern seas, more than 20 years after the break-up of the Soviet Union, according to Itar-Tass news agency as reported by Reuters.

The launch of the Russian nuclear submarines follows President Vladimir Putin’s plan to deploy a naval unit in the Mediterranean Sea on a permanent basis beginning 2013.

An unnamed military official who spoke to Itar-Tass news agency said, "The revival of nuclear submarine patrols will allow us to fulfill the tasks of strategic deterrence not only across the North Pole but also the South Pole.”

According to the official, the patrols would be phased in over several years. The new Russian nuclear submarine, Yuri Dolgoruky, the first of eight Borei-class submarines that Russia hopes to launch in 2020, entered service this year.

Putin has stressed the importance of a strong and agile military since returning to the Presidency last month. In 13 years in power, he has often cited external threats when discussing the need for a reliable armed forces and Russian political unity, according to Reuters.

Fears of a nuclear confrontation between Russia and the United States has dwindled down in the past years.

In 2010, the Cold War-era foes signed a landmark treaty setting lower limits on the size of their long-range nuclear arsenals.

The limited number of warheads and delivery vehicles such as submarines they committed to under the new START treaty is still enough to cause global devastation.

Russia has been clear that it will continue to upgrade its arsenal.

The Borei-class submarines and the Bulava ballistic missiles they carry were designed in the 1990s, during an era when science and defense industries were extremely underfunded.

Russia sees the Bulava as the backbone of its future nuclear deterrence, but the program has been set back by several botched launches over the past few years.