One of the Russian navy's oldest and most iconic submarines will re-enter service soon, as part of the country's Black Sea Fleet of warships.
The "Alrosa" submarine, which dates back to the bygone Soviet Union era, had been undergoing repairs in recent months. However, assuming the final testing goes smoothly, Russian officials anticipate the submarine will be given the green light of redeployment by the end of May.
"The Plant's workforce has fulfilled a large amount of work, as a result of which the Alrosa has been not only repaired but has also acquired new combat and technical capabilities," the Black Sea Fleet's 13th Ship Repair Plant said in a statement.
"They put the submarine on par with six submarines that have become operational in the Black Sea Fleet in recent years."
The Alrosa was constructed shortly before the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, as part of the experimental Project 877, representing "Kilo-class" ships with torpedo capabilities.
After the Soviet Union dissolved, the Alrosa became Russia's only combat-ready submarine used in the Black Sea.
The Alrosa's stealth design enabled it to move via waterjet engines rather than by propeller propulsion when traveling underwater, earning the worldwide nickname, "black holes."
The submarine's re-emergence could be a boon for the Russian Navy, which has taken some hits during the Russia-Ukraine war.
The most prominent occurrence: The Moskva recently became the largest Russian warship to be sunk in combat since World War II.
Counting the losses of the Moskva and Saratov (a beachable amphibious warfare ship), Russia had roughly 20 ships in the Black Sea last month, according to a recent British Defense Ministry intelligence update.
The BDM bulletin added: Russia continues to have capabilities to hit targets on Ukraine's mainland from the sea, but replacing its sunken ships has not been possible "with a key Turkish-controlled strait closed to most warship traffic."
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