MOSCOW, July 31. /TASS/. The Project 03182 small sea tanker Valentin Rykov, built at the Volga Shipyard, has been commissioned into the Baltic Fleet, the fleet's press service reported.

"The auxiliary fleet’s naval flag raising ceremony and the commissioning of the small sea tanker Valentin Rykov, a Project 03182 tanker built at the Volga Shipyard, into the Baltic Fleet, took place in Baltiysk. The ceremony for the Russian Navy's auxiliary fleet first flag raising was held by the tanker's Commander Andrey Lobanov," the press service reported.

It noted that the new tanker’s acceptance into the Baltic Fleet was preceded by successful factory and state trials, which took place at the fleet’s sea ranges. Specifically, the tanker’s crew, together with representatives from the manufacturer, conducted maneuvering and speed trials in the Baltic Sea, checking the operation of all units, systems, and components, as well as navigation and radio equipment.

"A modern fleet is not only missile ships and submarines, but also a powerful, reliable floating logistics base. The capabilities of this versatile vessel will allow the fleet to support forces anywhere in the operational zone, solving logistical problems in a variety of conditions," Commander-in-Chief of the Baltic Fleet Admiral Sergey Lipilin remarked at the ceremony, as quoted by the press service.

The tanker is named in honor of Valentin P. Rykov (May 30, 1926 - July 21, 2015), a Soviet submariner and the first commander of the K-52 nuclear submarine, which pioneered navigation under pack ice between Franz Josef Land and Spitsbergen Island.

This small seagoing Arc4 ice-class tanker has a full displacement of 3,500 t. It is designed for the transportation and transfer of dry and liquid cargo, resupply of ships with cargo in other containers, garbage collection, patrolling, emergency rescue operations, refloating and towing distressed vessels, serving as a fire vessel, and many other tasks. The crew consists of 24 people, with accommodation for an additional eight. It has a landing pad for a Ka-27 class helicopter.