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