# Buyan-class corvette

The Buyan class (Russian: Буян, lit. 'Buyan'), Russian designations Project 21630 Buyan and Project 21631 Buyan-M, are series of corvettes (small artillery and missile ships in Russian classification) developed by Zelenodolsk Design Bureau for the Russian Navy. Since 2010, all subsequent vessels are being constructed as improved Project 21631 subclass, incorporating greater tonnage, stealth technology and the 3S14 vertical launching system for either Kalibr or Oniks anti-ship cruise missiles, significantly enhancing combat capabilities. The ships are primarily designed for operations within littoral zones to protect Russia's vast coastal areas. Due to the small tonnage, they can operate even within shallow parts of oceans and seas and Russia's extensive inland waterway system. The export variant is known as Project 21632 Tornado.

## Design

Initial information about a modified Project 21631, dubbed Buyan-M, was published in August 2010. The Project 21631 ships were to be an updated variant of the Project 21630 Buyan small artillery ships. They were to be up-armed with a USKS VLS system supporting the nuclear-capable Kalibr cruise missiles (SS-N-27 Sizzler) and with additional electronic countermeasure equipment. Ships of Project 21631 were designated for national economic zones protection, same as the original variants.
The ships' small size and displacement enables them to operate within inland river systems, including traversing the Moscow Canal. This allow them to redeploy to various seas around European Russia. A particular advantage for the Buyan-M series were the limitations imposed by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) which prohibited land-based medium-range missiles while sea-based ones were not restricted. A river-based corvette could deploy such missiles without being subject to the restrictions. The lead ship of this project, Grad Sviyazhsk, was laid down on 27 August 2010 and commissioned on 27 July 2014.

## Operational history

On 7 October 2015, corvettes Grad Sviyazhsk, Uglich, Velikiy Ustyug and Gepard-class frigate Dagestan, deployed in the Caspian Sea, launched 26 Kalibr cruise missiles at 11 terrorist targets in Syria. The missiles flew nearly 1,500 kilometres (930 mi) over Iran and Iraq and struck targets in Raqqa and Aleppo provinces (controlled by the Islamic State) as well as in Idlib province (controlled by the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front). According to United States Department of Defense officials, several of these cruise missiles fired from Russian ships crashed in Iran and did not make it to their intended targets in Syria.
On 20 November 2015, the same warships launched 18 Kalibr cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea at seven terrorist targets in Rakka, Idlib and Aleppo provinces.
In 2016, the corvette Zelenyy Dol was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, later followed by sister ship Serpukhov. On 19 August Zelenyy Dol and Serpukhov, deployed in the Mediterranean Sea, launched Kalibr cruise missiles at positions of Al-Nusra terrorist group in Syria. As a result of the strikes, number of terrorist facilities were destroyed, including command post and base near the village of Dar Ta Izzah and weapon production plants and warehouses in Aleppo province.
On 25 October 2016, Zelenyy Dol and Serpukhov were deployed to the Baltic Sea to join a newly formed division at Kaliningrad. In 2020, Zelenyy Dol and the Karakurt-class corvette Odintsovo deployed to Arctic waters utilizing Russian internal waterways and illustrating the Russian capacity to transfer light units among the Russian Navy's three western fleets and the Caspian Flotilla as might be required. A similar deployment was conducted in 2023 by Serpukhov.
On 28 March 2022, a Buyan-class corvette fired eight Kalibr missiles from the Black Sea and claimed to have destroyed a Ukrainian arsenal at Orzhev.
On 17 June 2022, a photo emerged of Velikiy Ustyug being towed on the Volga River in a damaged state after a Ukrainian attack.
On 8 April 2024, Ukrainian military intelligence released a video in which they claimed to have started a fire onboard Serpukhov. The fire reportedly occurred on 7 April. Serpukhov was in harbour at Baltiysk, Kaliningrad Oblast. Ukrainian military intelligence claimed that the fire destroyed "its communication and automation systems." On 3 July 2024, HUR revealed details of Operation "Rybalka" ("Fisherman"), which involved a former Russian sailor setting fire to the Buyan-class corvette Serpukhov on 8 April 2024. He also stole data "about the Baltic Fleet and the Russian military industry." The former sailor joined the Freedom of Russia Legion after defecting. HUR estimated Serpukhov will be out of action for six months. The ship was targeted for its ability to fire Kalibr and Onyx missiles.
On 6 November 2024, an A-22 drone from the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck the Kaspiysk naval base reportedly damaging a Buyan-class corvette of the Caspian Flotilla along with two Gepard-class frigates.

## Variants

* Project 21630 Buyan
* Project 21631 Buyan-M – Upgraded design with modernised systems and new weapons
* Project 21632 Tornado – Export design
* Project 21635 Sarsar – Unveiled at Army-2022 expo, with an increased number of VLS cells, as well as a larger displacement overall

## Ships

| Name | Builders | Laid down | Launched | Commissioned | Fleet | Status |
| Project 21630 Buyan |||||||
| Astrakhan | Almaz Shipyard, St. Petersburg | 30 January 2004 | 7 October 2005 | 1 September 2006 | Caspian | Active |
| Volgodonsk | Almaz Shipyard, St. Petersburg | 25 February 2005 | 6 May 2011 | 28 December 2011 | Caspian | Active |
| Makhachkala | Almaz Shipyard, St. Petersburg | 24 March 2006 | 27 April 2012 | 4 December 2012 | Caspian | Active |
| Project 21631 Buyan-M |||||||
| Grad Sviyazhsk | Zelenodolsk Shipyard | 27 August 2010 | 9 March 2013 | 27 July 2014 | Caspian | Active |
| Uglich | Zelenodolsk Shipyard | 22 July 2011 | 10 April 2013 | 27 July 2014 | Caspian | Active |
| Velikiy Ustyug | Zelenodolsk Shipyard | 27 August 2011 | 21 May 2014 | 19 December 2014 | Caspian | Damaged, under repair |
| Zelenyy Dol | Zelenodolsk Shipyard | 29 August 2012 | 2 April 2015 | 12 December 2015 | Baltic | Active |
| Serpukhov | Zelenodolsk Shipyard | 25 January 2013 | 3 April 2015 | 12 December 2015 | Baltic | Damaged, under repair |
| Vyshniy Volochyok | Zelenodolsk Shipyard | 29 August 2013 | 22 August 2016 | 1 June 2018 | Black Sea | Active |
| Orekhovo-Zuyevo | Zelenodolsk Shipyard | 29 May 2014 | 19 June 2018 | 10 December 2018 | Black Sea | Active |
| Ingushetiya | Zelenodolsk Shipyard | 29 August 2014 | 11 June 2019 | 28 December 2019 | Black Sea | Active |
| Grayvoron | Zelenodolsk Shipyard | 10 April 2015 | April 2020 | 30 January 2021 | Black Sea | Active |
| Tarusa | Zelenodolsk Shipyard | 24 April 2017 | 17 September 2021 | 29 December 2022 | Baltic | Active |
| Naro-Fominsk | Zelenodolsk Shipyard | 23 February 2018 | 9 December 2022 | 25 December 2023 | Baltic | Active |
| Stavropol | Zelenodolsk Shipyard | 12 July 2018 | 11 June 2024 | 2024 | Baltic | Launched |