MOSCOW, May 14 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian Defense Ministry has signed a contract to refit two Soviet-era Sierra-class multipurpose nuclear submarines, the Zvezdochka shipyard said Wednesday.
"A contract was signed with the Defense Ministry to extensively refit two Project 945 [NATO reporting name Sierra]. One of the submarines has remained at the shipyard for over 10 years, the other will arrive this year," spokesman Yevgeny Gladyshev said.
The refit will extend the submarines' service for about 10 years.
The shipyard's workers are currently removing nuclear fuel from the reactor of the first submarine, the Karp, laid down in 1987. The submarine's refit is expected to be completed in 2017.
The Russian navy announced in early April that it expected to receive over ten modernized nuclear submarines by 2020.
