OREANDA-NEWS. May 30, 2012. St. Petersburg-based Severnaya Verf Shipyard has been awarded contracts for the construction of four corvettes of 20385 Project from the Russian Ministry of Defense, a Ministry spokesperson said.

The Gremyashchy will be the first corvette of 20385 Project series, spokesperson for Defense Ministry Andrei Vernigora said during an official launching ceremony at Severnaya Verft for the Stoiky, the last vessel of a series of 20380 Project corvettes.

The 20385 Project is the evolution of 20380 Project designed by the Almaz Central Marine Design Bureau.

St. Petersburg-based Severnaya Verf (Northern Shipyard) is a leading shipbuilding company of the Russian defense industry. The firm has been part of Moscow-headquartered United Industrial Corporation since 2004. The shipyard specializes in building cruisers, destroyers, minesweepers, patrol vessels and antisubmarine, research and passenger vessels, timber cargo carriers, trawlers, container ships and ro-ro vessels for the Russian Defense Ministry and foreign customers.