ST. PETERSBURG, August 27. /TASS/. A ceremonial keel-laying for the new Russian Project 677 diesel-electric submarine Maloyaroslavets took place on Thursday at the Admiralty Shipyard, part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), in St. Petersburg.

As Nikolay Patrushev, Russian Presidential Aide and Maritime Board Chairman, noted at the ceremony, in 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the development strategy for the Russian Navy through 2050, which outlines the prospects for strengthening the country’s naval power, with the modernization of the submarine forces being one of the top priorities.

"I am confident that the highly professional team at the Admiralty Shipyard, with its wealth of experience in building surface ships and submarines, in cooperation with the teams at partner enterprises, will successfully accomplish the task at hand," said Patrushev, wishing the shipyard’s team success in fulfilling their tasks with honor.

The Maloyaroslavets submarine will be the fifth vessel in the Project 677 Lada-class and the sixth order being built at the Admiralty Shipyard under the Rubin Design Bureau’s project.

To date, Project 677 submarines are recognized as the most advanced and promising domestic non-nuclear submarines, both in terms of combat effectiveness and other tactical and technical characteristics.

The shipyard is currently building a series of Project 677 submarines. The first submarine, the Kronstadt, was commissioned into the Navy in January 2024, and the Velikiye Luki - in December 2025. The third and fourth Project 677 submarines, the Vologda and the Yaroslavl, were laid down on June 12, 2022.

A key feature of these new-generation submarines is an automated control system for the vessel, its combat and technical systems, and its weapons. The stealth capabilities of these submarines are several times greater than those of third-generation submarines. The latest anti-sonar coating reduces the acoustic signature to such an extent that the submarine can pass undetected in close proximity to enemy sonar systems. The submarine is armed with torpedoes and missiles.