13:50 06.07.2026
Official flag hoisting ceremony aboard the new Arctic tugboat Favor in Arkhangelsk
© Press Center of the Government of the Arkhangelsk Region
The State Flag was hoisted in an impressive setting aboard the new Arctic rescue tugboat Favor at the Arkhangelsk seaport, as per the press service of the Government of the Arkhangelsk Region.
Arkhangelsk Region Governor Alexander Tsibulsky noted that the vessel could operate among scattered sea-ice formations up to 0.8 meters thick, and it can withstand waves of up to 8.5 meters high.
The Favor can take part in rescue and firefighting operations, contain oil spills and tow other vessels and ships.
“The vessel mostly features Russian-made equipment; this ensures technological sovereignty and makes it easier to service and maintain the tugboat. The new tugboat will operate in the zone of responsibility of the Arkhangelsk division of the High Seas Rescue Service, including ports on the White Sea coast and on the Northern Sea Route,” the Governor said.
Minister of Transport Andrei Nikitin also attended the ceremony and noted that water transport had strategic significance for Russia.
“High-seas shipping lanes handle 80 percent of all national foreign trade traffic volumes, and water arteries are the synonym of life in remote territories. There is no alternative for almost 80 percent of river routes in various regions,” the Minister of Transport stressed.
The Favor is the fifth, and final, vessel in the NE025 project series. The tugboat was built in accordance with the federal project Developing the Northern Sea Route and the Strategy for Developing the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation and Guaranteeing National Security up to 2035.
Sources at the High Seas Rescue Service noted that the NE025 project had a number of distinguishing features, including streamlined engineering solutions, impressive maneuverability and primarily Russian-made equipment; the Arc4-class vessels boast reinforced hulls for navigating Arctic latitudes.
