Project 22010, also known as Yantar or Kruys, is a Russian oceanographic intelligence-ship family built around deep-sea survey, recovery, and special-mission payloads. The lead ship Yantar was built by Yantar Shipyard for Russia's deep-sea research directorate and commissioned in 2015; UK defence officials later identified it as a spy vessel used for intelligence gathering and undersea-cable mapping.
UK defence officials described Yantar as a Russian spy ship used for intelligence gathering and undersea-cable mapping, and Royal Navy reporting documented repeated 2025 shadowing of the vessel near UK waters. The row remains in the holding bucket because the public sources support gray-zone maritime surveillance rather than confirmed combat employment in a named war.
The ship's public identity is an oceanographic research vessel, but the most distinctive capability is its role as a mothership for deep-diving and remotely operated systems used around seabed infrastructure.
| Payload or system | Reported function | Catalog relevance |
|---|---|---|
| Project 16810 Rus / Project 16811 Konsul | Deep-submergence vehicles housed or deployed by the ship for seabed missions. | Explains why the surface ship is treated as more than a general survey vessel. |
| ROVs and AUVs | Open-source naval analysis reports stern and side handling arrangements for remotely operated or autonomous underwater vehicles. | Supports undersea-infrastructure surveillance and recovery context without implying a confirmed attack role. |
| Dynamic-positioning machinery | Azimuth pods and bow thrusters let the vessel hold station while working over a seabed site. | Connects the propulsion fit to cable-mapping, survey, and recovery missions. |
Sources: Project 22010 Kruys / Yantar Oceanographic research vessel; Yantar | Covert Shores; Russian Spy Ship Yantar: Queen of the Gray Zone.
Project 22010 references cover Yantar and later same-family special-purpose oceanographic vessels; public sources treat Almaz and Vice-Admiral Burilichev as related builds with differing construction status.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| Almaz | Second Project 22010 ship | Open references identify Almaz as a longer Project 22010 sister ship launched in 2019 for Pacific Fleet-related service, with commissioning status still uncertain in public reporting. Sources: Project 22010 Kruys / Yantar Oceanographic research vessel, Russian Spy Ship Yantar: Queen of the Gray Zone |
| Vice-Admiral Burilichev | Follow-on Project 22011 ship | USNI describes Vice-Admiral Burilichev as a follow-on Project 22011 vessel laid down in 2021 and launched in 2025 at Vyborg Shipyard. |
Shipyard Yantar says the Project 22010 vessel was laid down on 8 July 2010 at the Kaliningrad yard.
Sources: Shipyard Yantar history: Project 22010 Yantar
Commons category records the ship's launch in December 2012 before final fitting-out and sea trials.
Sources: Wikimedia Commons category: Yantar (ship, 2015)
The vessel entered service in May 2015 with the Russian Navy's deep-sea research apparatus.
Sources: Wikimedia Commons category: Yantar (ship, 2015), Russian Spy Ship Yantar: Queen of the Gray Zone
UK and Royal Navy statements said HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne monitored Yantar after it passed through British waters, with the UK tying the response to undersea-infrastructure protection.
Sources: Defence Secretary oral statement on Russian Maritime Activity and UK Response, Royal Navy monitors Russian spy ship in waters close to the UK
Royal Navy reporting said HMS Somerset kept round-the-clock watch on Yantar for eight days in November 2025 as the vessel moved northwards toward the Faroe Islands.
Sources: Royal Navy activated twice in two weeks to intercept Russian ships in UK waters
The UK Defence Secretary said Yantar was on the edge of UK waters north of Scotland and had directed lasers at RAF P-8 crews; the Ministry of Defence later said nearby ships also experienced GPS jamming.
Sources: Defence Secretary speech on threats to the UK, We see you: Armed forces on patrol around the UK in response to Russian activity
