Russian Inland Hospital Ship Saint Luke Begins Full-Time Operations.

Moscow; May 2026: The Russian inland hospital ship Saint Luke has officially commenced operations in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug. The vessel’s initial operations will be in 05 districts in Khanty-Mansiysk, where the regional government expects approximately 36,000 residents in 94 remote settlements will be served.

Russian shipbuilder Port Kolomna has constructed the new hospital ship designed for operation in inland waters. Classed by the Russian Classification Society (RKO), the Project 132PK vessel has been named Saint Luke in honour of the Ukrainian-born Russian physician and cleric Luke of Simferopol, who is also venerated as a Saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

The vessel has a length of 65 metres (210 feet), a beam of 10.8 metres (35.4 feet), a draught of only 1.3 metres (4.3 feet), a depth of 3.2 metres (10 feet), a displacement of 650 tons. The ship’s onboard facilities include 25 clinic/examination spaces, laboratories, and ultrasound and X-ray rooms. She has a crew of 12 and can accommodate 25 medical personnel and up to 50 patients.

The vessel’s size and her shallow draught will permit operation along the Ob and Irtysh Rivers and their respective tributaries. An operating speed of just under 13 knots will meanwhile enable her to sail up to 500 kilometres in one day.

Inland waterway transport specialist Severrechflot will be the operator of the vessel. Construction of Saint Luke was undertaken in compliance with the Russian Classification Society’s Ice 20 rules, which indicate safe navigation in surface ice up to 20 cm thick.

Team Maverick.