Russian Navy may finally receive Project 677M Velikiye Luki submarine before year end.

Admiralty Shipyards appears to be preparing the B-587 Velikiye Luki for handover to the Russian Navy before year's end, based on indications shared by Russian sources.

On November 25, 2025, the Russian netizen Curious indicated that the Admiralty Shipyards wants to deliver the diesel-electric submarine B-587 Velikiye Luki, a Project 677M Lada-class unit, which remains in trials for now, to the Russian Navy before the New Year. The submarine has been undergoing its final sequence of trials in the Baltic, completing multiple diving phases and returning periodically to the yard for adjustments. This could finally close a program marked by several shifts in planned handover dates, initially set for 2019 and later adjusted to 2021, 2022, 2024, and now late 2025.
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The B-587 Velikiye Luki was launched on December 23, 2022, participated in the Main Naval Parade in July 2023, and commenced sea trials on December 21, 2023, which have repeatedly continued throughout 2024 and 2025. (Picture source: Curious)

The B-587 Velikiye Luki has been at sea repeatedly since December 2023 for factory and state trials, including dives to about 100 meters in December 2024 and deeper dives near 180 meters in July 2024 with Baltic Fleet support. Crews and industry personnel have checked propulsion, navigation, sonar, combat systems, and emergency procedures at depth, while practicing surfacing and coordination with escorting and rescue vessels in designated ranges. Each trial cycle has been followed by a return to the fitting-out wall and dry dock for technical adjustments, indicating either a continued refinement of onboard systems before acceptance, or new repairs that have to be carried out after each test, which could also explain a delay of six years. These actions will normally form the final steps before entry into service with the Baltic Fleet, which plans to employ the submarine in roles such as anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, base protection, and patrol along maritime routes.

The Velikiye Luki was initially laid down as Sevastopol on November 10, 2006, following the baseline Project 677 design. However, work on the second and third boats, B-586 Kronstadt and Sevastopol (the first name of the Velikiye Luki), was paused in 2009 as the Russian Navy assessed performance issues identified on the lead boat B-585 Sankt Peterburg. In December 2014, Admiralty Shipyards received a new contract to complete the third hull using a revised technical design. On March 19, 2015, the Sevastopol was relaid and renamed Velikiye Luki, with officials announcing at the time that delivery was expected in 2018. In 2019, construction was estimated at 55 percent, and the delivery date shifted to November 25, 2021. The submarine was launched on December 23, 2022, participated in the Main Naval Parade in July 2023, and commenced sea trials on December 21, 2023, which have continued throughout 2024 and 2025.

Technically, the Velikiye Luki now corresponds to the modified Project 677M standard, with a surfaced displacement of roughly 1,765 tons and a submerged displacement close to 2,650 tons, a length of about 66.8 to 67 meters, a beam of 7.1 meters, and an average draught of 6.6 meters. Propulsion consists of two diesel generators rated at approximately 1,250 kW each, supplying power to a main electric motor (estimated between 4,050 and 5,500 horsepower), supported by two 102-horsepower reserve motors driving a single shaft. Two battery groups, with 120 cells each, are also integrated to provide submerged endurance. Reported performance characteristics include a submerged speed up to 21 knots, a surfaced speed of around 10 knots, an endurance of around 45 days, and a crew of 35 to 36. The design uses a compact mono-hull or semi-single hull structure with smaller dimensions and lower displacement than earlier Project 877 or 636 submarines, combined with anti-sonar coatings and vibration isolation intended to reduce acoustic signatures.

Armament includes six bow-mounted 533-millimeter torpedo tubes and a loadout of up to 18 heavyweight torpedoes or a mixed arrangement of torpedoes and mines. The submarine can launch Kalibr cruise missiles through its torpedo tubes for land attack, anti-ship, or anti-submarine missions. For surface self-protection, the B-587 Velikiye Luki's design allows the use of man-portable air defense systems such as Igla-1M or Verba with eight missiles stored in transport launch containers, although the submarine was spotted carrying a heavy machine gun on its sail roof. Combat systems are managed by the Litiy automated combat control system, integrating sensors, navigation, and weapons engagement functions. Molniya-type anti-sonar hull coating and vibration isolation measures are reportedly used to limit detectability. Air independent propulsion using hydrogen oxygen fuel cells was studied for later units of the family, although the Velikiye Luki and the first boats of the class retain conventional diesel electric propulsion without this addition.

The broader Project 677 Lada effort began in the early 1980s at Rubin to supply non-nuclear submarines to the Russian Navy suited for internal seas such as the Baltic and Black Sea. The lead unit Sankt Peterburg was laid down in 1997, launched in 2004, and entered trials in 2007 before official acceptance in 2010. The Navy later moved it to the Baltic in 2020. Over time, various technical issues were identified, and by 2023, information indicated plans to withdraw the submarine rather than modernize it due to the cost and complexity of updating the prototype to newer standards. Despite these issues, the modified Project 677M configuration was adopted for continued construction, which enabled the completion of Kronstadt and the ongoing work on Velikiye Luki. Export-oriented derivatives such as Project 677E, Amur 950, and Amur 1650 have also been promoted as part of the program.

The broader series has progressed under varied funding and industrial conditions. Kronstadt, laid down in 2005, paused in 2009, resumed in 2013, and launched in 2018. It completed its trials in phases from 2021 and was commissioned into the Northern Fleet on January 31, 2024. In June 2019, the Ministry of Defense ordered two additional submarines, Vologda and Yaroslavl, both laid down on June 12, 2022, while another hull was contracted at the Army 2020 forum. Internal orders in December 2023 indicated that work on Vologda and Yaroslavl had been suspended due to insufficient funding. Over time, Russian authorities have referenced goals ranging from at least eight to at least twelve Lada-class units for domestic use, although broader industrial demands and competing procurement priorities affect these projections. In this context, completing Velikiye Luki by the end of 2025 would represent, for the Admiralty Shipyards, a measurable step toward reinforcing non-nuclear forces in the Baltic Sea with newer submarines built under the Project 677M standard.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.