Project 22870 is a series of rescue tugboats 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
NameProject 22870
BuildersZvezdochka Shipyard, Astrakhan
Operators Russian Navy
Built2014–present
In commission2020–present
Planned7[1]
Building1
Completed6
Active5
Lost1
General characteristics
TypeTugboat
Displacement
  • 1,200 tons (standard load)
  • 1,670 tons (full load)[1][2][3]
Length57 m (187 ft)
Beam14 m (46 ft)
Draught3.2 m (10 ft)
Propulsion
  • 2 x 2720 hp KL6538-AS06 electric motors
  • 3 x 1520 kW diesel-generators
  • 2 x 200 kW diesel-generators
  • 2 x 100 kW diesel-generators
  • 2 x azipods
  • 2 x bow thrusters
Speed14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph)
Endurance20 days
Complement26

Operational history edit

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 edit

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]
Captain 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 Laid down[1][5]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Project 22870". russianships.info. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "Rescue Tug Spasatel Vasily Bekh (SB-739)". kchf.ru. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d "Project 22870 Rescue Tug". globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  4. ^ a b "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.