According to Sevmash spokesman Mikhail Starozhilov, the prototype submarine will be officially launched in mid-April, 2007. Then Dolgoruky will have to undergo several testing trials. According to Vladimir Masorin, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, the vessel will join the Russian navy in 2008.

Masorin further said that currently, the heart of Russia’s sea-based nuclear arsenal was the navy’s strategic nuclear submarines of the third generation, which, according to him, played an important role for the signing of the Russian-US Strategic Offensive Reduction Treaty

“There are currently three nuclear submarines under construction: Yury Dolgoruky, Alexander Nevskiy and Vladimir Monomakh. These new submarines will be equipped with state-of-the-art missiles and technologies,” said Masorin.

Masorin further pointed out that the Russian Navy has also a number of nuclear submarines equipped with cruise missiles, including submarines of the project 949a, equipped with Granit missiles, reported the news agency Rosbalt-Sever.