Keel laid for Murmansk, the tenth Yasen-class multipurpose submarine
Russia's war economy is under increasing strain, but construction of the Navy's advanced nuclear-powered submarines continues unabated.
The keel-laying ceremony took place at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk on 17 June, according to a statement published by the yard on VKontakte.
Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Aleksandr Moiseev, announced that the new submarine will be named Murmansk. He also indicated that construction of multipurpose submarines will continue at its current pace.
"The programme essentially calls for such keel-laying ceremonies to be carried out annually in order to meet the needs of the state and the Navy. These submarines will serve in two regions: the Northern and Pacific Fleets," Moiseev said.
Murmansk will be the ninth serial vessel of the Yasen-M class. Including the lead boat, Severodvinsk, it will be the tenth fourth-generation multipurpose submarine in the programme.
Five Yasen-class submarines are already in service with the Russian Navy: three with the Northern Fleet and two with the Pacific Fleet. Another five are at various stages of construction at the Sevmash shipyard, while two more are expected to be laid down in 2027 and 2028.
Murmansk Governor Andrei Chibis attended the ceremony and stressed the strategic importance of the region to Russia.
"The region is home to the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet, which plays a key role in ensuring Russia's security in the north and strengthening its position in the Arctic," Chibis said.
Murmansk will be armed with torpedoes and cruise missiles, including the Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile, which is powered by a scramjet engine and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
Within the Northern Fleet, Yasen-M-class submarines are based at Zapadnaya Litsa, Russia's closest submarine base to the Norwegian border on the coast of the Barents Sea.
