The Sonya class, Soviet designation Project 1265 ''Yakhont'', are a group of

minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...

s built for the Soviet Navy and Soviet allies between 1971 and 1991.

Design

The Sonya-class ships are wooden hulled coastal

minehunter A minehunter is a naval vessel that seeks, detects, and destroys individual naval mines. Minesweepers, on the other hand, clear mined areas as a whole, without prior detection of mines. A vessel that combines both of these roles is known a ...

s, built as successors to the with new sweeps and more effective

sonar Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect objects on o ...

. A central safe explosion proof area is fitted and all key systems can be remote controlled from there.

Operators

A total of 72 ships were built by Uliis yard in the

Vladivostok Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, ...

and Avangard yards in

Petrozavodsk Petrozavodsk (russian: Петрозаводск, p=pʲɪtrəzɐˈvotsk; Karelian, Vepsian and fi, Petroskoi) is the capital city of the Republic of Karelia, Russia, which stretches along the western shore of Lake Onega for some . The population ...

between 1971 and 1991. One ship, ''BT-730'', was lost in an accident in 1985. Another unit collided with a

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

surveillance ship east of

Gotland Gotland (, ; ''Gutland'' in Gutnish), also historically spelled Gottland or Gothland (), is Sweden's largest island. It is also a province, county, municipality, and diocese. The province includes the islands of Fårö and Gotska Sandön to ...

in the Baltic Sea in November 1985. * c. 23 ships (2021). **

Baltic Fleet , image = Great emblem of the Baltic fleet.svg , image_size = 150 , caption = Baltic Fleet Great ensign , dates = 18 May 1703 – present , country = , allegiance = (1703–1721) (1721–1917) (1917–1922) (1922–1991)(1991–present) ...

– 4 ships **

Black Sea Fleet Chernomorskiy flot , image = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Great emblem of the Black Sea fleet , dates = May 13, ...

– 2 ships? (may no longer be active) **

Northern Fleet Severnyy flot , image = Great emblem of the Northern Fleet.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Northern Fleet's great emblem , start_date = June 1, 1733; Sov ...

– 7 ships ** Pacific Fleet – 7 ships **

Caspian Flotilla Kaspiyskaya flotiliya , image = Great emblem of the Caspian Flotilla.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Great emblem of the Caspian Flotilla , dates = No ...

– 3 ships * 2 ships in service. ** U330 ''Melitopol'' ** U331 ''Mariupol'' * 2 ships in service. * 4 ships transferred. * 4 ships transferred. * 1 ship transferred. * 4 ships transferred.

References

* Also published as * {{Soviet and Russian ships after 1945 Mine warfare vessel classes Minesweepers of the Soviet Navy Minesweepers of the Azerbaijani Navy Minesweepers of the Bulgarian Navy Minesweepers of the Cuban Navy Minesweepers of the Russian Navy Minesweepers of the Syrian Navy Minesweepers of the Ukrainian Navy Minesweepers of the Vietnam People's Navy

Design

Operators

See also

References