MOSCOW, March 12. /TASS/. The Sevmash Shipyard in Russia’s northwest will float out the improved Project 885M Yasen-M-class second serial-built nuclear-powered submarine Krasnoyarsk in August this year, a source in the domestic defense industry told TASS on Friday.

"The Krasnoyarsk is scheduled to be taken from the slipway in August 2021," the source said, adding that following this operation the shipbuilders would start work to complete the sub’s construction afloat, launch its dock trials and nuclear reactor tests.

The nuclear-powered sub is due to be delivered to the Russian Navy in late 2022, the source specified.

TASS has no official confirmation of this information yet.

It was earlier reported that the Project 885M first serial-built nuclear-powered submarine Novosibirsk would be handed over to the Russian Navy in late 2021. Therefore, the Sevmash Shipyard (part of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation) is planning to deliver the Project 885M lead submarine Kazan and first serial-build sub Novosibirsk this year. Six more submarines of this type are at various stages of their construction at the Sevmash Shipyard.

Project 885/885M nuclear-powered submarines

The improved Project 885M seventh and eighth submarines, the Voronezh and the Vladivostok, were laid down on July 20, 2020. The keel-laying ceremony was observed by Russian President Vladimir Putin via a video conference.

The Project 885 ‘Yasen’ lead and sole nuclear-powered underwater cruiser Severodvinsk is accomplishing tasks within the Northern Fleet’s submarine forces. The sub was built at the Sevmash Shipyard and delivered to the Russian Navy on June 17, 2014.

Project 885/885M submarines are armed with Kalibr-PL and Oniks cruise missiles and will eventually carry Tsirkon hypersonic missiles as their basic weapons. The nuclear-powered sub Severodvinsk is now preparing for the tests of the Tsirkon hypersonic missile that will begin this year.