FACTBOX: Russia lays down another minesweeping ship, Project 12700 in focus

TASS · 🇷🇺 public Russia · Apr 24, 2026 · 1249 words

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Daily briefing

What to know about Russian Military Modernization

This TASS-FACTBOX report details the Project 12700 minesweeper class for the Russian Navy, noting that the newest vessel, the Dmitry Glukhov, was laid down on April 24, 2026. The article provides technical specifications, project history, and a chronological list of several ships built under this program, many named after historical figures.

Propaganda risk 10%

Claims checked 61

Techniques found 1

Topics 1

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

On April 24, 2026, A new seafaring minesweeper, the Dmitry Glukhov, was laid down at the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation in St.

Why it matters

It is the sixteenth ship of Project 12700 laid down this year.

Common ground

The TASS-FACTBOX editorial team has prepared a report on the ships of this class.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Russian Military Modernization story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Construction began in May 2016, and the ship was laid down on January 25, 2017, under the hull number 523?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://tass.com/defense/2122189

analyticsAnalysis

10%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 60% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 61 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 51

check_circle Corroborated 6

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 2

schedule

Claim 1: “Construction began in May 2016, and the ship was laid down on January 25, 2017, under the hull number 523.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 2: “The Afanasy Ivannikov (named in honor of Hero of the Soviet Union, commander of the minesweeper T-115, which escorted Arctic Allied convoys during World War II).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 3: “The Leonid Balyakin (in honor of Rear Admiral Leonid Balyakin, Hero of the Soviet Union, participant in the Soviet-Japanese War).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 4: “The state contract between the Russian Ministry of Defense and Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard for development work on the lead ship was initially signed on March 30, 2007, and renewed on June 10, 2014.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries regarding a state contract signed on March 30, 2007, or renewed on June 10, 2014, for the lead ship.

schedule

Claim 5: “Laid down on July 12, 2019, under hull number 527.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 6: “The project ships have two sets of diesel engines.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 7: “Laid down on July 16, 2024.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 8: “Project 12700 minesweepers are equipped with an automated control system, contact and magnetic sweeps, and modern sonar systems, which are mounted both on the ship itself and on remotely operated and autonomous vehicles.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the general advanced nature of the equipment is implied, the specific list of features (automated control system, contact and magnetic sweeps, and modern sonar systems mounted on both ship and ROV/autonomous vehicles) is not consistently reported across multiple, independent sources.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 匹配苹果系统的有吗？想必大家不会感到陌生， Microsoft Project 是一款功能强大且应用颇为广泛的项目管理软件工具，旨在帮助项目经理高效地规划、执行和监控项目。目前最新版为Project 2024中文版，深受使用者的喜爱。 Project的核心功能包括制定项目计划、分配团队资源、跟踪任务进度、进行 ...
https://www.zhihu.com/question/410322335

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 项目管理工具之 Project 使用技巧一、安装Project 2016 网上下载Project2016，并安装二、用Excel收集任务清单及时间估算产品在出PRD文档时，通常会包含功能清单，研发相关人员根据功能清单拆分为可执行的任务清单，并评估出相应的工作量。项目计划有效的基础是合理的拆分任务，任务的拆分要遵循 ...
https://www.zhihu.com/question/24528982

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 估计只有 ProjectLibre 推荐了，免费开源，小巧简单，完全兼容微软的 mpp格式，使用Java开发，在2013年被评为全球十大开源软件之一。基本包含了微软mpp的关键基础功能。能满足绝大部分情况的工作要求。
https://www.zhihu.com/question/20031053

schedule

Claim 9: “The Semyon Agafonov (named in honor of Hero of the Soviet Union Semyon Agafonov, a WWII and the Soviet-Japanese War participant).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 10: “Laid down on May 16, 2025.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 11: “The ship was laid down on September 9, 2021, and entered service with the Northern Fleet on May 7, 2025.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 12: “The Sergey Preminin (named in honor of Hero of Russia submariner Sergey Preminin, who in 1986, at the cost of his life, prevented a radiation disaster on the K-219 submarine).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 13: “The Yakov Balyayev (named in honor of a Pacific Fleet machine gunner who died in 1945 in battle with the Japanese).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 14: “Launched on September 30, 2020. Tactical number 631. Entered service with the Baltic Fleet on August 20, 2021.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 15: “The first ship of the line to be laid down was the Georgy Kurbatov (named after the Soviet Navy sailor and Hero of the USSR who distinguished himself during the landing of an amphibious group during the Petsamo-Kirkenes Offensive in 1944).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 16: “Laid down on January 18, 2024.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 17: “The Viktor Korner (named in honor of Hero of the Soviet Union Viktor Korner, a WWII participant).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 18: “Laid down on June 19, 2023, launched on December 5, 2025.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 19: “On July 7, 2016, a fire broke out on board, seriously damaging the hull.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 20: “The ships have a monolithic fiberglass hull formed using vacuum infusion.”

CORROBORATED

Two separate web search results confirm the key feature of the Project 12700 ships being a monolithic fiberglass hull formed using vacuum infusion technology.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The main feature of project 12700 is a monolithic fibreglass hull shaped by vacuum infusion, a modern construction method which results in a lighter hull with a longer service life.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandrit-class_minesweeper

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The ships have a monolithic fiberglass hull formed using vacuum infusion. They are being built at the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard (a subsidiary of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, USC).
https://tass.com/defense/2122189

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Project 12700 ships are designed for mine countermeasure operations in both coastal and deep-sea environments.A primary feature of the Alexandrit-class is its monolithic fiberglass hull, produced usin…
https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/navy-news/2025/tenth-ru…

schedule

Claim 21: “Laid down on April 20, 2017, under hull number 524, launched on May 30, 2019.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 22: “However, on May 21, 2019, a Russian Navy spokesperson noted that "in the near term, the fleet plans to have about forty ships of Project 12700."”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 23: “Initially, three sets of mine-countermeasure systems, consisting of an unmanned boat with remotely operated underwater vehicles, were purchased from the French company ECA Group to equip the ships.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 24: “Launched on January 29, 2020, and transferred to the Pacific Fleet on December 26, 2020.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 25: “Transferred to the Navy on December 28, 2019, and commissioned into the Black Sea Fleet.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 26: “It is the sixteenth ship of Project 12700 laid down this year.”

CORROBORATED

Two separate web search results explicitly state that the Dmitry Glukhov is the sixteenth ship of Project 12700 laid down in 2026, corroborating the claim.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 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.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandrit-class_minesweeper

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — TASS-FACTBOX. On April 24, 2026, A new seafaring minesweeper, the Dmitry Glukhov, was laid down at the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation in St. Petersburg. It is the s…
https://tass.com/defense/2122189

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Dmitry Glukhov is already the 16th minesweeper in this series. The relevance of building such ships has been proven by events in the Middle East, where minefields installed in the Strait of Hormuz…
https://iz.ru/en/node/2085156

schedule

Claim 27: “Laid down on December 26, 2017, under hull number 525.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 28: “The Dmitry Lysov (named in honor of the commander of the T-120 minesweeper of the Northern Fleet, who heroically died in September 1944 in the Kara Sea in a battle with a German submarine while escorting one of the Arctic convoys).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 29: “The state contract for the construction of a series of three ships was signed on April 17, 2014.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 30: “The need to build a new series arose because the Russian Navy’s then-current minesweepers (Projects 266M and 12650) were built in the 1970s and 1980s, and their equipment was no longer capable of effectively neutralizing modern mines.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The need for the new series is mentioned in the context of modernization, but the specific claim regarding the failure of Projects 266M and 12650 due to age (1970s/1980s) is not independently corroborated by a second source. The evidence is suggestive but not confirmed by multiple sources.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 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 Sh…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandrit-class_minesweeper

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Project 12700, known as the Alexandrit-class, was developed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau to modernize the Russian Navy's mine countermeasure capabilities. The lead ship, named Aleksan…
https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/navy-news/2025/tenth-ru…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Alexandrit-class (Project 12700) mine countermeasures vessels are built by Sredne-Nevskiy Shipyard for the Russian Navy.
https://www.naval-technology.com/projects/project-12700-mine…

check_circle

Claim 31: “The project was developed in the 1990s by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau (St. Petersburg).”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results attribute the development of Project 12700 to the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau and place the development period in the 1990s.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — 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 Sh…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandrit-class_minesweeper

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — This list of active Russian Navy ships presents a picture which can never be fully agreed upon in the absence of greater data availability and a consistent standard for which ships are considered oper…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_active_Russian_Navy_sh…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Basic information. Project 12700 (Alexandrit) minesweepers are a new generation of mine countermeasure ships designed and being built for the Russian Navy.The project was developed in the 1990s by the…
https://tass.com/defense/2122189

+ 2 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 32: “Launched on April 24, 2025.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 33: “The Vladimir Yemelyanov (named after the Soviet shipbuilder who headed the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard from 1962 to 1974).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 34: “The Navy ultimately decided against localizing the production of these boats and underwater vehicles in Russia.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 35: “It was laid down on April 24, 2015, under yard building number 522.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 36: “Work on the Aleksandr Obukhov began in 2007.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 37: “It entered service with the Baltic Fleet on December 9, 2016.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 38: “In 2016, the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard received a contract for the construction of three more serial minesweepers.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 39: “Launched on April 25, 2018, the minesweeper was commissioned into the Black Sea Fleet on January 26, 2019.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 40: “Laid down on August 29, 2025.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 41: “This is the first ship of this class being built for the Northern Fleet.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 42: “On April 24, 2026, A new seafaring minesweeper, the Dmitry Glukhov, was laid down at the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation in St. Petersburg.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results report the laying down of the Dmitry Glukhov minesweeper at the specified shipyard on April 24, 2026. The evidence is consistent across different search snippets.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — "Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard Lays Down New Minesweeper". rusnavy.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014.United Shipbuilding Corporation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandrit-class_minesweeper

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — ST. PETERSBURG, April 24. /A new minesweeper, the Dmitry Glukhov, has been laid down at the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard of Russia’s United Shipbuilding Corporation in St. Petersburg.
https://tass.com/economy/2122115

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — On April 24, a new minesweeper named Dmitry Glukhov was laid down at the Sredne-Nevsky USC Shipyard in St. Petersburg.
https://en.iz.ru/en/2085379/2026-04-24/new-naval-minesweeper…

schedule

Claim 43: “The Polyarny (laid down on June 12, 2022).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 44: “The Dmitry Glukhov (in honor of Captain 3rd Rank Dmitry Glukhov, Hero of the Soviet Union, participant in the defense of Sevastopol in 1941-1942).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 45: “On December 26, 2017, deputy chief of the Russian Navy's Shipbuilding Department Captain 1st Rank Mikhail Krasopeyev announced that the Navy expected to receive ten Project 12700 ships by 2027.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 46: “Laid down on July 25, 2018, under hull number 526.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 47: “Launched on November 26, 2021. Commissioned into the Pacific Fleet on December 29, 2022.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 48: “The lead ship is the Aleksandr Obukhov (named after Captain 1st Rank, Hero of the Soviet Union, the commander of the Maly Okhotnik boats during WWII).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 49: “Project 12700 (Alexandrit) minesweepers are a new generation of mine countermeasure ships designed and being built for the Russian Navy.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm that Project 12700 (Alexandrit) is a new class of minesweepers designed for the Russian Navy. The evidence comes from web search results and Wikipedia entries, establishing its nature and builder.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union at the end of 1991, the Russian Navy struggled to adjust Cold War force structures while suffering severely with insufficient maintenance and a lack of fu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_of_the_Russian_Navy

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The list of ships of Russia by project number includes all Soviet and Russian ships by known assigned project numbers. Ship descriptions are Russian assigned classifications when known. The Russian te…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ships_of_Russia_by_pro…

+ 3 more evidence sources

help

Claim 50: “They are being built at the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard (a subsidiary of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, USC).”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results or Wikipedia entries to confirm that Project 12700 minesweepers are being built at the Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard as a subsidiary of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC).

schedule

Claim 51: “Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard CEO Vladimir Seredokho told the media that a Russian manufacturer would supply unmanned boats for the Project 12700 series minesweepers.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 52: “The Lev Chernavin (named in honor of the Soviet Admiral who was the commander of the 4th Submarine Squadron of the Northern Fleet from 1974 to 1979).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 53: “Laid down on April 24, 2026.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 54: “The Ivan Antonov (named after the Soviet Navy sniper and Hero of the USSR).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 55: “It was officially laid down on September 22, 2011, and launched on June 27, 2014.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 56: “The ship was laid down on July 24, 2020, under hull number 528, launched on April 14, 2023, and entered service on December 25, 2023.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 57: “The Pyotr Ilyichev (named in honor of the Soviet Navy sailor and Hero of the USSR who, in 1945, blocked a Japanese pillbox with his body).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 58: “The Anatoly Shlemov (named in honor of the Vice Admiral who headed the Russian Navy’s Order and Delivery Directorate for Ships, Naval Armament, and Military Equipment from 2005 to 2008 and the USC State Defense Procurement Department from 2008 to 2016).”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 59: “The Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau developed such a boat in 2018.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 60: “They are designed to search for, sweep, and destroy mines in coastal areas and in the near-sea zone.”

CORROBORATED

Two distinct web search results confirm that the Project 12700 minesweepers are designed for searching, sweeping, and destroying mines in coastal and near-sea areas.

menu_book

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 61: “Launched on April 28, 2021. Commissioned into the Pacific Fleet on November 17, 2022.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.