[1][7] In the mid-2010s, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation announced that a fleet of new auxiliary icebreakers would be built for the Russian Navy as part of the ongoing fleet renewal program to replace Soviet-era vessels.

[8] However, the initial plans for the construction of four 6,000-tonne (5,900-long-ton) Project 21180 icebreakers was revised after the lead ship, Ilya Muromets, turned out to be too expensive.

[9] The vessel was laid down on 12 December 2018,[11] launched on 24 November 2020,[12] and delivered to Russian Navy on 1 July 2024 after having been towed from Saint Petersburg to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky in the previous year.

[13][14] Evpatiy Kolovrat, named after the 13th century bogatyr described in The Tale of the Destruction of Ryazan, entered service with the Pacific Fleet on 26 July 2024.

[16] The vessel will be named Svyatogor after the mythical bogatyr and its delivery to the Northern Fleet is envisaged for 2027.