Tug sinks while under construction at Russian shipyard

A tug still under construction capsized and sank at a shipyard in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg on Friday, August 8.

The Russian Navy Project 23470 icebreaking tug Kapitan Ushakov was undergoing final outfitting when one of its compartments suffered water ingress, causing it to tilt heavily to starboard.

Shipyard employees and emergency response personnel worked over the next several hours to stabilise the tug and keep it afloat. However, the vessel capsized and sank on the morning (local time) of Saturday, August 9.

The tug eventually settled to the seabed near the jetty where it had been undergoing outfitting.

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.

Local authorities have launched an investigation to determine whether safety procedures at the yard were adequately followed.

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.