On January 18, 2024, JSC Sredne-Nevsky Shipbuilding Plant (SNSZ, part of JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation - USC) in St. Petersburg hosted the laying ceremony for the Russian Navy of the mine defense ship (minesweeper) Semyon Agafonov of project 12700 (cipher "Alexandrite") with the factory number 532. This is the twelfth ship in the series of Project 12700, it is intended for the Northern Fleet
The mortgage board of the mine defense ship (minesweeper) "Semyon Agafonov" of project 12700 (code "Alexandrite") with the factory number 532, laid on 01/18/2024 at JSC Sredne-Nevsky Shipbuilding Plant (SNSZ, part of JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation) in St. Petersburg for the Russian Navy. The company stubbornly continues to refer to the ships of the 12700 project as "base minesweepers" (c) Curious / forums.airbase.ru
By order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, who was present at the ceremony, the future minesweeper was named after Marine Hero of the Soviet Union Semyon Agafonov (1917 - 1977), a participant in the Great Patriotic and Soviet-Japanese Wars, who received the title of Hero for participating in the occupation of Liinahamari on October 12, 1944.
To date, eight Project 12700 minesweepers have been built and transferred to the Russian Navy at the SNSZ - "Alexander Obukhov" (factory number 521, commissioned by the Navy on December 9, 2016), "Ivan Antonov" (factory number 523, commissioned on January 26, 2019), "Vladimir Yemelyanov" (factory number 524, commissioned on December 28, 2019), "Yakov Balyaev" (factory number 525, commissioned on December 26, 2020), "Georgy Kurbatov" (factory number 522, commissioned on August 20, 2021), "Peter Ilyichev" (factory number 526, commissioned on 16 November 2022), "Anatoly Shlemov" (factory number 527, commissioned on December 29, 2022) and "Lev Chernavin" (factory number 528, commissioned on December 25, 2023).
The lead minesweeper Alexander Obukhov and the minesweeper Lev Chernavin are part of the Baltic Fleet, the minesweepers Yakov Balyaev, Pyotr Ilyichev and Anatoly Shlemov are part of the Pacific Fleet, and the minesweepers Ivan Antonov, Vladimir Yemelyanov and Georgy Kurbatov are part of the Black Sea Fleet.
The construction of the minesweepers of this project Afanasy Ivannikov (factory number 529, laid down on September 9, 2021), Polyarny (factory number 530, laid down on June 12, 2022) and Dmitry Lysov (factory number 531, laid down on June 19, 2023) continues at the SNSZ.
"Our plant will continue to develop, starting next year the SNSZ will reach the pace of commissioning up to two minesweepers of the 12700 project per year," said Sergey Seredokho, General Director of the SNSZ, at the laying ceremony of the Semyon Agafonov minesweeper. In turn, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov confirmed plans to deliver minesweepers two units per year, starting in 2025. He also noted that in the future, the fleet hopes that collectively the plant, the Navy and the designer will be able to reach the rhythm - up to three units of such PMO ships per year.
The laying ceremony at JSC Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard (SNSZ, part of JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation) in St. Petersburg for the Russian Navy mine defense ship (minesweeper) "Semyon Agafonov" project 12700 (code "Alexandrite") with factory number 532. Saint Petersburg, 18.01.2024 (c) JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation and paluba.media
