Vishnya-class (Project 864)
Commissioned by the Soviet Union in 1985, the Vishnya-class auxiliary ship is an intelligence-gathering vessel distinguished by its prominent spherical radomes.
| Subtype | Intelligence collection ship |
| Displacement | 3470 tons |
| Crew | 146 members |
| Width | 14.6 m (47.9 ft) |
| Length | 91.5 m (300.2 ft) |
| Propulsion | 2 shafts, 2x Zgoda Sulzer 12AV 25/30 diesel engines, 4,400 bhp |
| Maximum speed | 16 knots |
Description
The Vishnya class, designated Project 864 by the Soviet Union and also known as the Meridian class, is a group of intelligence collection ships built for the Soviet Navy. Constructed by the Stocznia Północna shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland, the vessels entered service between 1985 and 1988. Seven ships of the class were completed, and they continue to serve within the Baltic, Pacific, Northern, and Black Sea fleets of the Russian Navy.
These purpose-built vessels are designed for signals intelligence gathering. Their operations rely on an array of sensors, intercept arrays, and radio direction-finding equipment, supplemented by onboard radar and sonar systems. To transmit collected intelligence to shore stations, the ships utilize satellite link antennas housed inside two large radomes. For self-defense, the class is equipped with close-in weapon systems and surface-to-air missile launchers.
The ships of the class have conducted intelligence-gathering deployments globally. One vessel, Tavriya, is currently in reserve and has been used as a parts donor for other ships of the class. Viktor Leonov has deployed to the western Atlantic, docking in Havana, Cuba, in 2012, 2014, and 2015. It conducted intelligence patrols off the United States East Coast in 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2019, traveling as far north as Connecticut in 2017. During a December 2019 patrol off South Carolina and Georgia, the United States Coast Guard reported the vessel operated unsafely by running without navigation lights and failing to respond to hails. In late 2020, Viktor Leonov operated off the British coast to surveil a United States Navy submarine, where its activities were countered by the Royal Navy frigate HMS Northumberland.
Other vessels of the class have operated in regional conflict zones and various maritime areas. Vasily Tatishchev deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean in October 2015 to monitor the conflict in Syria, followed by deployments to the Red Sea in 2021 and the Adriatic Sea in 2022. In June 2023, Priazovye was active in the southeastern Black Sea protecting gas pipelines, where it reportedly thwarted a drone attack. In October 2025, Kareliya operated 15 nautical miles south of Oahu, Hawaii, where it was monitored by United States Coast Guard sea and air assets.