Brand-New Russian Navy Tug Sinks at St. Petersburg Shipyard Before Entering Service

The Kapitan Ushakov, a newly constructed Russian Navy tugboat (Project 23470), sank on August 9 near a pier at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg while undergoing final outfitting, according to the Russian news outlet Fontanka.

The vessel began to tilt to starboard on the evening of August 8. Despite overnight efforts by emergency responders and shipyard workers to stabilize it, the tug eventually capsized and settled on the bottom next to the pier by morning.

The Baltic Shipyard reported that the pier was leased to the Yaroslavl Shipbuilding Plant, which was overseeing the final completion of the vessel.

Russia’s Investigative Committee stated that the flooding originated in the auxiliary machinery compartment, which caused the tug to list and ultimately sink. Authorities have launched a preliminary investigation into possible violations of construction safety standards.

Construction of Kapitan Ushakov began in 2017 at the Yaroslavl Shipbuilding Plant. After launching in June 2022, it was transferred to St. Petersburg in late 2023 for completion. The tug was intended to join the Northern Fleet’s 566th support ship detachment in Murmansk, with active service scheduled to begin by the end of 2024.

Project 23470 tugboats are ocean-capable vessels built to tow ships and floating structures in all navigational conditions, including icy waters up to Arc4 class. They also have search and rescue capabilities, firefighting systems, and a helicopter pad. These ships displace 3,200 tons, measure nearly 70 meters in length, have a 15-meter beam, can carry a crew of 33, and are designed to operate for up to 30 days at sea.

Four other ships of this class have been launched since 2014, with three currently active—two in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and one in the Pacific Fleet.

In related news, a powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake recently struck near Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula, shaking the Rybachiy submarine base in Vilyuchinsk, a key strategic location housing ballistic missile and attack submarines of the Pacific Fleet.

Source: UNITED24MEDIA