ST. PETERSBURG, — Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) has held a keel-laying ceremony for the Project 677 Lada-class diesel-electric submarine Maloyaroslavets at Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg.
The submarine was designed by the Rubin Design Bureau and is being built for the Russian Navy. According to USC-related reporting, Maloyaroslavets is the sixth Project 677 submarine ordered at Admiralty Shipyards and the fifth serial submarine of the class.
The ceremony was attended by Nikolay Patrushev, aide to the Russian president and chairman of the Maritime Board; Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Alexander Moiseyev; USC Director General Andrey Puchkov; St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov; Admiralty Shipyards acting chief Andrey Bystrov; and Rubin Design Bureau Director General Vladimir Dorofeyev.
Patrushev said that modernization of Russia’s submarine forces is among the priorities of the Navy’s development strategy through 2050. Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed in 2025 that the Navy Development Strategy through 2050 had been approved and that its implementation is intended to support the modernization of the Russian Navy.
Patrushev also expressed confidence that the Admiralty Shipyards workforce, together with partner enterprises, would complete the submarine-building program.
USC chief Andrey Puchkov said the shipyard would continue modernization work alongside its current orders. Planned work includes modernization of the production and energy complex, reconstruction of the Parade Embankment and crane facilities, and reconstruction of the deep-water embankment and modernization of the machine-building workshop beginning in 2027.
Modernized Project 677 Design
The Maloyaroslavets is being built under the modernized Project 677 design, which was refined using operational experience from the lead submarine St. Petersburg. The updated series began with Kronstadt, which was delivered to the Russian Navy in January 2024. Velikiye Luki followed in December 2025.
Two other Project 677 submarines, Vologda and Yaroslavl, were laid down on June 12, 2022, and remain under construction at Admiralty Shipyards.
Project 677 submarines are diesel-electric, non-nuclear boats designed with a high level of automation. Russian sources describe the class as having an automated control system covering the submarine, its combat and technical systems, and its weapons. The boats also use acoustic protection measures and are designed for reduced underwater noise.
The submarines are equipped with missile and torpedo weapons capable of engaging maritime and coastal targets. Reported specifications for the Project 677 include a length of about 66.8 meters, a beam of 7.1 meters, a submerged displacement of around 2,700 tons, a maximum submerged speed of up to 21 knots, a diving depth of about 300 meters and an endurance of up to 45 days. The crew is reported at about 35 to 36 personnel.
The class is also equipped with six 533 mm torpedo tubes. The Velikiye Luki has been reported as capable of launching Kalibr cruise missiles through its torpedo tubes.
Continued Lada-Class Production
The keel-laying of Maloyaroslavets continues the production of the modernized Lada-class submarines at Admiralty Shipyards. The construction program follows the delivery of Kronstadt and Velikiye Luki, while Vologda and Yaroslavl remain under construction.
The submarine has been named after Maloyaroslavets, a city in Russia’s Kaluga Region that holds the designation of a City of Military Glory. The naming follows the practice of giving Project 677 submarines names associated with Russian cities.
The keel-laying ceremony marks the formal start of construction of another Project 677 submarine as Russia continues its program to modernize its conventional submarine fleet.
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