Russia's Nevsky Shipyard has begun construction on a new series of vessels that will be used in fisheries and oceanographic research.
The two Project 17050 vessels were ordered by the All Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (Vserossiyskiy nauchno-issledovatel'skiy institut rybnogo khozyaystva i okeanografii; VNIIRO).
Equipment will include trawls, acoustic survey sensors, and other tools for assessing fish stocks.