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Thefts haunt shipyard

When completed, the Zvezda yard in the Russian Far East will be able to deliver vital parts for the Russian oil and gas industry

Billions of state money are gone in thefts at the yard which is to build a lion’s share of Russia’s new offshore oil and gas equipment

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Prosecutors have revealed thefts of up to four billion rubles (€74,4 million) at the Zvezda shipyard complex in the Russian far east. Among the suspects is former head of the yard, Igor Borbot, who reportedly has fled the country hiding from Russian law enforcement authorities, Tass.ru reports.

The thefts could hamper progress in the yard construction. When completed, the Zvezda yard will become a centerpiece for Russia’s maritime industry.

The Zvezda yard is located only few kilometers from the Chinese border and will be able to construct tankers with a deadweight of up to 350.000 tons, LNG carriers, ice-protected ships, drilling rigs and production platforms.

The new construction facilities will be based on the existing, aging yard with the same name located in the Bolshoy Kamen and Pyat Okhotnikov Bays outside Vladivostok. Zvezda was for decades one of Russia’s key sites for construction and repair of nuclear submarines. Now, the sub repairs have all been moved to Sevmash outside Arkhangelsk, while Zvezda is transformed into a non-military yard.  

The total price tag of the Zvezda project is estimated to more than 100 billion roubles (€2,14 billion) and construction works are to be completed in 2018, the company informs