Sunken Russian Military Tug Kapitan Ushakov Raised in St. Petersburg

More than a year after it sank, the Russian military tug Kapitan Ushakov, designed for Arctic operations, has been raised in St. Petersburg.

Navy Of Russia, a Russian specialized media outlet, reported this.

According to it, the vessel is expected to be sent to the Yaroslavsky Shipbuilding Plant for a major overhaul, including replacement of the propulsion system, reconstruction of the hull and refurbishment of life-support systems.

However, given the vessel’s prolonged submersion and the need to replace all cabling, electronics and machinery and carry out a major hull overhaul, it may not return to service because of the cost of repairs.

Kapitan Ushakov

Project 23470 sea tugs are designed to tow vessels, floating objects, and structures in seas and oceans, with no restrictions on their operating area.

Key specifications:

• Displacement: 3,200 tons
• Length: 69.75 meters
• Beam: 15 meters
• Towing capacity: 200 tons
• Crew: 33
• Endurance: 30 days
• Equipped with a helipad for receiving helicopters

The tugs can operate in ice conditions under the Arc4 ice class. They are also designed for search-and-rescue operations, firefighting, and other tasks.

The Project 23470 sea tug Kapitan Ushakov was launched in 2022 at the Yaroslavsky Shipbuilding Plant and transferred to St. Petersburg in autumn 2023 for completion at a berth of the Baltic Shipyard. The tug was being prepared for operations along the Northern Sea Route.

On the evening of August 8, 2025, the vessel began to list. Workers spent the night trying to stop the list, but on the morning of August 9, the tug listed to starboard and partially sank. According to Russian investigators, water entered the auxiliary machinery compartment.

In August, the port administration gave three months to remove the sunken tug from the Neva. The vessel was not raised within that deadline.

According to PortNews, work was delayed in November 2025 because of financial problems at the owner, the Yaroslavsky Shipbuilding Plant. Active preparations to raise the vessel began only in May 2026, about nine months after the accident.

On June 24, contractor Baltspecflot told Kommersant that it had reinforced the shoreline and begun pulling the tug out using towing equipment. As of the morning of June 25, the hull had already been partially raised, but the vessel was still listing heavily.

The vessel was reported to have been fully raised on July 18. However, photos published at the time showed the vessel still listing to one side. It was then planned to inspect the vessel over two weeks to one month. The plant was to coordinate further action with the customer, the Russian Defense Ministry.