In the end of last year the sub conducted successful sea trials and launched a testing missile in December. The submarine was based in Severodvinsk since 1989 and only recently Russia found the funds to complete the upgrade. In June 2002 the nuclear cruiser was taken out of the dock. Dmitry Donskoy was upgraded to the fourth generation submarine. The submarine received new equipment, control systems, weaponry and more reliable life-support systems.

Some media sources claim, the submarine has not entered active service yet due to the lack of the modern missiles. However, the sub might leave for its permanent base in Zapadnaya Litsa on the Kola Peninsula in the second half of this year.

The submarine was built at the Sevmash plant in 1982 and became the first Russian Typhoon submarine

Design Bureau Rubin (St Petersburg) developed third generation Typhoon (Akula) class submarine project 941. Sevmash built six Typhoons. The submarine has multi-hulled design, having two parallel main hulls, also called strong hulls, inside the light hull. Maximum diving depth is 400 m. Speed is 12 knots when surfaced and 27 knots when submerged. Typhoon is capable of spending 120 days at sea. The submarine is divided into 19 compartments and powered with two 190 megawatts nuclear reactors.