Mikhail Rudnitsky

The Mikhail Rudnitsky is a Project 05360 (later upgraded to Project 05361) rescue ship designed for the Soviet and Russian Navy. Its primary mission is to support submarine rescue operations by transporting and deploying deep-submergence rescue vehicles (DSRVs). The vessel is equipped with specialized heavy-lift cranes, decompression chambers, and medical facilities to assist distressed submarine crews.

Developed in the 1970s to address the Soviet Navy's need for dedicated submarine rescue platforms, the ship was built at the Vyborg Shipyard and commissioned in 1978. It served primarily with the Northern Fleet and became widely known for its involvement in the rescue attempts during the Kursk (K-141) submarine disaster in August 2000, where it deployed the AS-34 rescue submersible. Throughout its career, the vessel underwent modernization to upgrade its search, rescue, and navigation systems. It has remained in active service, participating in various salvage and training exercises in the Arctic region.