Thread by @ChrisO_wiki

1/ Six months ago, the newly built Russian Navy tugboat Kapitan Ushakov capsized at its moorings during its final outfitting, when it was 97% complete. It's still there today, resting on its side, leading to some hard questions for the Northern Fleet. ⬇️

2/ The only thing that seems to have changed after six months is that the boat is now encased in ice at the Baltic Shipyard pier in St. Petersburg. It's an "endless disgrace", 'Military Informant' complains. But how and why has it not been raised?

3/ The shipyard's owner, Yaroslavl Shipyard (YaSZ), says that because the vessel "is being built under a state defence contract ... there is no permission to disclose this information or comment on it."

4/ 'Military Informant' notes that YaSZ is "struggling to find nearly a billion rubles [$13 million] to raise the vessel, as it is teetering on the brink of collapse: debts amount to 26.3 billion [$343 million], revenue has plummeted by a third,…

5/ …and the balance on its accounts is 92 million [$1.2 million].

Experts estimate that replacing the sunken equipment and refurbishing the Ushakov will cost approximately 40% of the tugboat's value."

6/ YaSZ has been engaged in a lengthy legal battle with the Russian Ministry of Defence over unpaid debts, initially to the sum of 1.5 billion rubles ($19.5 million) but later reduced by a court to 187.5 million rubles ($2.4 million). This has brought it to near bankruptcy.

7/ Russian sources reported in November 2025 that YaSZ had not paid its 850 employees for two months. Many workshops were shut down for lack of cash, and employees had been sent on layoffs.

8/ 'Notes of Midshipman Ptichkin' points out that the Norwegian and North Korean navies managed to raise capsized vessels much more quickly. In the meantime, the Ushakov and its expensive equipment is languishing in the water, and is possibly being looted:

9/ "During its downtime, the tugboat managed to become a city landmark: it is photographed, graffiti is painted on it, the boat even starred in a movie, appearing in a typical St. Petersburg series "about policemen".

10/ "It is quite possible that something valuable is being stolen from it. At the very least, some of the portholes are broken, and there are no guards in sight on the ice.

11/ "– The question of why the boat was not raised is very interesting. According to the order of the captain of the Great Port of St. Petersburg, the vessel was supposed to be raised by 20 November, but this did not happen.

12/ "YaSZ signed a contract for the recovery with the St. Petersburg company "Baltspetsflot". Sources in the industry suggest that the shipyard did not have the money. And in general, it is painful to talk about the state of YaSZ.

13/ "– An even more interesting question is why no one helped raise the ship?

After all, this isn't just a problem for one construction plant (YaSZ).

This is a contract for the Navy.

That is, it's in the interests of the state." /end

Sources:
🔹 t.me/milinfolive/16…
🔹 t.me/milinfolive/16…
🔹 t.me/rusfleet/13086
🔹 epravda.com.ua/svit/chomu-ros…
🔹 abn.agency/2025/10/02/v-s…