Project 23700 Voivode (Voevoda)

Brett Davidson

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https://www.twz.com/news-features/is-this-russian-rescue-ship-really-putins-new-yacht
Officially it's a new rescue ship However, there are a couple of things that raise an eyebrow.

First, its livery is not what one would expect on a rescue ship.

Second, its fitout.

A closer look at the specifications of the Project 23700 class reveals that the vessel is suspiciously well appointed in terms of accommodation.

Based on documentation published by the Yantar Shipyard, the vessel has “enhanced comfort facilities” that appear to be far beyond what would normally be found on a rescue ship.


Third, its name, Voyevode, the name given in the article, is not the sort of name you'd expect on a rescue ship. Likely it is a mistaken transliteration of the Cyrillic letters on the ship. It would actually be this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voivode
Voivode [...] is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the medieval rulers of the Romanian-inhabited states and of governors and military commanders of Polish, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Balkan, Russian and other Slavic-speaking populations.
An unlikely name for a ship of mercy but would suit, if not a warship, the personal yacht of someone styling themselves as a military conquerer.

From the article:

“This vessel’s architecture and described functionality are more reminiscent of the currently popular expedition yacht type. The design, however, is very utilitarian, falling short of a full-fledged yacht for a private client, but perhaps this is intentional. I believe there is every reason to believe that the vessel’s true purpose does not correspond to its stated goals, and it will be used for the specific needs of very high-ranking government officials.”

PUTIN-YACHT.jpg
 
I wonder how much diplomatic value is attained from a ship like this? The Russians have had several like it in the past, does their experience show a practical benefit that justifies the cost? The ship’s capabilities seem relevant but mishmashed, I’m having a hard time understanding the concept of operations so I’ll look forward to finding out, and if it really was a waste of money then we’ll laugh about a yacht sinking an aircraft carrier
 

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