Project 12700 minesweeper Georgy Kurbatov joins Russian Navy.

According to information published by Tass on August 23, 2021, the minesweeper Georgy Kurbatov has joined the Russian Navy, the Baltic Fleet’s press office said. The flag-raising ceremony took place at the Baltic Fleet’s main base in Baltiysk.
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Project 12700 minesweeper Georgy Kurbatov (Picture source: Top War)

As it was reported earlier, the Georgy Kurbatov will join the 68th sea area defense brigade of the Black Sea Fleet. The new ship passed all the trials, including state tests, at Baltic Fleet sea ranges.

The ship will sail to its permanent base from Baltiysk, the press office said without specifying the cruise start date.

The first serial Project 12700 minesweeper Georgy Kurbatov was laid down in 2015, launched in September 2020 and is expected to be handed over to the Navy in late 2021.

The minesweeper was initially planned to join the Navy in the fourth quarter of 2016, however, the warship caught fire on June 7, 2016. Six hundred square meters of the internal coating were ablaze and the fire was rated 3 out of five possible points. The fire delayed the commissioning by several years.

The Alexandrit class, Russian designation Project 12700 Aleksandrit (for the mineral alexandrite), is the newest class of Russian minesweepers designed by Almaz and being built by the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard for the Russian Navy. The first ship was laid down on 22 September 2011 and was launched in June 2014. Anywhere between 30 and 50+ ships have been described as envisaged.