Russia's Yaroslavl Shipyard has said that it expects to begin raising the wreck of the sunken tug Kapitan Ushakov from the waters of Saint Petersburg this July.
Yaroslavl Shipyard had originally set May 2026 as the start of the salvage effort on the tug. Russian media reported, however, that the company had been forced to postpone the effort due to "financial problems."
The salvage work will commence following the necessary documents regarding advance payment.
Kapitan Ushakov belongs to the Project 23470 series, which are being developed as icebreaking tugs for use by the Russian Navy.
The tug sank while she was still under construction at the facilities of state-owned Baltic Shipyard on August 8, 2025. The tug was undergoing final outfitting when one of her compartments suffered water ingress, causing her to tilt heavily to starboard. This then resulted in her capsizing and sinking the following morning (local time).
The tug eventually settled to the seabed near the jetty where she had been undergoing outfitting. No injuries were reported.
Yaroslavl Shipyard had leased the berth at Baltic Shipyard where construction of the tug was then taking place.
An initial probe revealed that the water ingress that resulted in the capsizing had originated in the auxiliary engine room. The tug then gradually tilted as the flooding worsened.
A criminal investigation into the incident is meanwhile ongoing.
Construction of Kapitan Ushakov began in 2017. The tug was originally scheduled to enter service with the Russian Navy at the end of last year.
