Project 22870 tugboat

Project 22870 is a series of rescue tugs in service with the Russian Navy designed by the Vympel Design Bureau, intended for towing ships in distress, fire fighting, medical evacuation, and rescue operations.^[1][2][3]

Spasatel Vasily Bekh in 2021
Class overview
Name	Project 22870
Builders	Zvezdochka Shipyard, Astrakhan
Operators	Russian Navy
Built	2014–present
In commission	2020–present
Planned	7[1]
Completed	7
Active	5
Lost	1
General characteristics
Type	Rescue tug
Displacement	1,200 tonnes (standard load) 1,670 tonnes (full load)[1][2][3]
Length	57 m (187 ft 0 in)
Beam	14 m (45 ft 11 in)
Draught	3.2 m (10 ft 6 in)
Propulsion	2 × KL6538-AS06 electric motors (2 × 2,720 PS or 2,680 shp) 3 × 1,520 kW diesel generators 2 × 200 kW diesel generators 2 × 100 kW diesel generators 2 × Azipod units 2 × bow thrusters
Speed	14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Endurance	20 days
Complement	26

Operational history

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the tugboat Spasatel Vasily Bekh was hit and sunk on 17 June 2022 by two anti-ship missiles fired by Ukrainian forces.^[2][3] The vessel was allegedly transporting weapons and ammunition to Snake Island, which was occupied by Russian forces at the time.^[4]

Ships

Name	Builder	Laid down	Launched	Commissioned	Fleet	Status
SB-45	Zvezdochka Shipyard	2011	24 May 2013	27 June 2014	Caspian Flotilla	Active[1]
Professor Nikolay Muru (ex-SB-565)	Zvezdochka Shipyard		20 May 2014	28 December 2014	Black Sea Fleet	Active[1]
SB-738	Zvezdochka Shipyard		21 May 2015	4 July 2016	Caspian Flotilla	Active[1]
Spasatel Vasily Bekh (ex-SB-739)	Zvezdochka Shipyard		2 August 2016	16 January 2017	Black Sea Fleet	Sunk 17 June 2022 during the Russo-Ukrainian War[1][2][3][4]
Capitan Guryev	Zvezdochka Shipyard	27 January 2016	18 May 2018	5 December 2018	Black Sea Fleet	Active[1]
SB-742	Zvezdochka Shipyard	27 October 2016	22 May 2019	19 December 2019	Black Sea Fleet	Active[1]
Mikhail Chekov	Zvezdochka Shipyard	25 March 2021	21 May 2024		Black Sea Fleet	Launched[1][5][6]

See also

• List of active Russian Navy ships
• Future of the Russian Navy

References

1. "Project 22870". russianships.info. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
2. "Rescue Tug Spasatel Vasily Bekh (SB-739)". kchf.ru. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
3. "Project 22870 Rescue Tug". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
4. "Ukraine Strikes Russia's Vasily Bekh Rescue Tug With Antiship Missiles". navalnews.com. 17 June 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
5. "The seventh rescue and towing vessel of project 22870 "Mikhail Chekov" was laid down". vpk.name. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
6. "В Астрахани спустили на воду седьмой спасательный буксир проекта 22870". flotprom.ru (in Russian). 21 May 2024.

External links

• Media related to Project 22870 rescue tugboat at Wikimedia Commons