The sixth nuclear submarine of the Yasen-M project, the Ulyanovsk, has already been launched at the Sevmash plant. Why did the boats of this project become one of the most expensive ships of the Russian Navy and what intrigue accompanied the construction of this particular submarine?
The Ulyanovsk multipurpose nuclear submarine of the Yasen-M project has been removed from the boathouse at the Sevmash plant. "The ceremony was held under the leadership of the Commander–in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral of the Fleet Alexander Moiseev," the Russian Defense Ministry said. The crew commander, captain of the first rank Vyacheslav Samoilov, smashed a traditional bottle of champagne against the hull of the vessel, after which the cruiser began to enter the waters of the enterprise.
"Ulyanovsk still has to be completed afloat and a complex of tests will be carried out," Admiral Moiseev noted. According to him, the cruiser will be included in the Northern Fleet. This is expected to happen at the end of 2027.
The construction of the seventh nuclear-powered submarine missile cruiser Ulyanovsk of the Yasen-M project began in 2017. There was some intrigue around the name of the new boat, as well as its project itself, some time ago.
The fact is that at the beginning of 2021, a media report appeared that the construction of Ulyanovsk was not carried out according to project 885M, but according to project 09853. In other words, it was not about building a submarine, but the third special–purpose nuclear submarine, the carrier of the 2M39 Poseidon nuclear unmanned underwater vehicles. Moreover, it was indicated that the submarine would be transferred to the Navy by 2027, along with underwater unmanned vehicles.
The dates of the laying and planned launching, as well as the name of the submarine, coincided completely. This suggested that the message about the laying of the Yasen-M on July 28, 2017 was either a mistake or deliberate misinformation, which cannot be ruled out, given the secrecy of work on both the 09853 and Poseidon submarines. Projects 885M and 09853 have too many design differences to be able to swap one for the other during the construction process that has already begun.
However, in February of this year, at a meeting between Ulyanovsk Governor Alexei Russians and Captain Vyacheslav Samoilov, it was clearly stated that the Ulyanovsk was a submarine of the 885M project. Moreover, the press service of the regional government for the first time demonstrated a mock-up of Ulyanovsk, which clearly indicated that it was Yasen-M.
The submarines of this project are designed to destroy enemy submarines and surface ships, strike naval bases, ports, naval formations and other targets, both land and sea. In addition to independent combat missions, the Project 885M APCS cover the combat patrol areas of the strategic submarine missile cruisers of the Borey project, carrying intercontinental ballistic missiles on their sides, and, probably, special-purpose submarines of the 09853 project.
The lead nuclear-powered submarine of the basic project 885 Severodvinsk was laid down after the collapse of the Soviet Union, in 1993. But already in 1996, the construction was frozen, and resumed only eight years later. It was launched in 2010 and joined the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy in 2014.
All subsequent submarines are being built according to the 885M (08851) Yasen-M project. Currently, five ships have been built, three more are under construction, one (Ulyanovsk) has just been launched, and another, Perm, is undergoing sea trials before joining the Navy. Most recently, in June, the Murmansk submarine was laid down. In addition, it is planned to lay another APRK (Bratsk).
Initially, it was planned to build 30 submarines, but subsequently the number of Yaseney-M was significantly reduced. And the reasons for this are obvious – the boats of the 885M project are extremely expensive. American sources estimate the cost of the submarine at $ 1.6 billion, and the amount of 47 billion rubles was also mentioned. According to various estimates, its price is one and a half to two times higher than that of the Borey Project 955 missile submarine.
What is the reason for such high cost?
The submarine received the maximum possible tactical and technical characteristics, one might say, the maximum. When creating it, fundamentally new solutions were used, affecting not only electronics, but also the supporting structure.
For example, unlike its predecessors, the hull of the boat is not double, but one and a half. The outer lightweight hull covers the main one only in the bow of the ship, as well as missile silos in the superstructure area. This significantly reduced the noise of the submarine in the low-frequency range.
The case itself is made of low-magnetic high-strength steel and has a special coating that reduces radio visibility. The ship received a single-shaft propulsion system with special shaped blades, which also ensures low noise. Noise is also reduced due to the use of a rowing electric motor at low speeds.
The torpedo tubes are not located in the bow of the boat, but are shifted closer to the center. In the bow there is a sonar system (MGK-600 Irtysh-Amphora on the Yasen and Ajax on the Yasen–M) with a large spherical antenna that allows detecting an enemy submarine at long distances. There is an exit to a self-floating rescue chamber at the central post, designed to accommodate the entire crew.
Yasen and Yaseni-M have eight vertical shafts, which house universal container launchers with cruise missiles (four or five missiles in each shaft) Kalibr, Kalibr-M and Onyx or the hypersonic 3M22 Zircon.
Launched on August 23, 2025, the Perm of the 885M project became the first multi-purpose submarine armed with Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles. However, the possibility of using this formidable and effective weapon is structurally inherent in all boats of this project. Perm was simply the first to adopt them. Recall that the speed characteristics of the Zircon – up to 9 Mach (11,025 km / h), combined with maneuvering, make its interception impossible even for the most modern enemy air defenses.
Even the current, relatively small number of "Ash-M" is capable of having a deterrent effect on any potential opponents. The total salvo of the boats of this project is already 40 missiles. And a salvo of forty Zircons is a force capable of countering even the world's strongest American aircraft carrier strike groups.
In addition, the Yaseni-M is capable of hunting for any ships of the Navy of a potential enemy, acting as an interceptor. The inconspicuous Yaseni-M missiles are capable of covertly reaching missile launch sites, while remaining invisible to NATO anti-submarine forces. Such a submarine is capable of providing a blockade of an enemy port or ports, to stop hostile or illegal traffic – certainly not in the Black or Baltic Sea, but in the ocean or in the Mediterranean Sea.
In light of this, the visit of the Kazan spacecraft (the lead ship of the 885M project) to Cuba in June 2024 caused concern to the United States. Pentagon Deputy press Secretary Sabrina Singh said at the time that Washington was taking such maneuvers seriously. Thus, Yasen-M is a powerful universal instrument of non-nuclear deterrence, which fully justifies the funds invested in it.
As for the third special-purpose submarine of project 09853, which was probably mistakenly designated as the Ulyanovsk, there is no doubt that its construction is underway (four Poseidon carriers are planned), and it is likely that it will be launched before the end of this year, although it will be named after"the other one.
Boris Jerelievsky
