The Buyan-M class (), Russian designation Project 21631 Buyan-M are a series of corvettes (small missile ships by Russian classification), in service with the Russian Navy. They are an updated version of the earlier Project 21630 Buyan-class corvettes. The ships are primarily designed for operations within littoral zones to protect Russia's vast coastal areas. Due to their small tonnage, they can operate even within shallow parts of oceans and seas and Russia's extensive inland waterway system. The lead ship of this project, Grad Sviyazhsk, was laid down on 27 August 2010 and commissioned on 27 July 2014.
Design The Project 21631 (also known as the Buyan-M) class of corvettes (small missile ships) is an updated variant of the earlier Project 21630 (Buyan) class of small artillery ships. It has a greater displacement, length and beam, with some upgraded sensors and electronic countermeasures. The main difference between the two subclasses, however, is their armament. The Buyan ships are fitted with a BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, hence the name "Artillery ship". The Buyan-M units, however, are equipped with an 8-cell 3S-14 vertical launching system, which is intended to carry the nuclear-capable Kalibr long-range anti-ship/land attack cruise missile, (and, in theory, the supersonic Oniks and hypersonic Zircon). Differences are also noted in the air defense systems, with the two classes having slightly different SAMs and CIWS.
Ships of Project 21631 were designated for national economic zones protection, same as the original variants.
A particular advantage for the Buyan-M series were the limitations imposed by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) which prohibited land-based medium-range missiles while sea-based ones were not restricted. A river-based corvette could deploy such missiles without being subject to the restrictions.
The ships' small size and displacement enables them to operate within inland river systems, including traversing the Moscow Canal. This allows them to redeploy to various seas around European Russia.
Operational history In 2016, the corvette Zelenyy Dol was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, later followed by sister ship Serpukhov. On 19 August Zelenyy Dol and Serpukhov, deployed in the Mediterranean Sea, launched Kalibr cruise missiles at positions of Al-Nusra terrorist group in Syria. As a result of the strikes, number of terrorist facilities were destroyed, including command post and base near the village of Dar Ta Izzah and weapon production plants and warehouses in Aleppo province.
On 25 October 2016, Zelenyy Dol and Serpukhov were deployed to the Baltic Sea to join a newly formed division at Kaliningrad. In 2020, Zelenyy Dol and the Odintsovo deployed to Arctic waters utilizing Russian internal waterways and illustrating the Russian capacity to transfer light units among the Russian Navy's three western fleets and the Caspian Flotilla as might be required. A similar deployment was conducted in 2023 by Serpukhov.
On 28 March 2022, a Buyan-M class corvette fired eight Kalibr missiles from the Black Sea and claimed to have destroyed a Ukrainian arsenal at Orzhev.
On 17 June 2022, a photo emerged of Velikiy Ustyug being towed on the Volga River in a damaged state after a Ukrainian attack.
On 8 April 2024, Ukrainian military intelligence released a video in which they claimed to have started a fire onboard Serpukhov. The fire reportedly occurred on 7 April. Serpukhov was in harbour at Baltiysk, Kaliningrad Oblast. Ukrainian military intelligence claimed that the fire destroyed "its communication and automation systems." On 3 July 2024, HUR revealed details of Operation "Rybalka" ("Fisherman"), which involved a former Russian sailor setting fire to the Buyan-class corvette Serpukhov on 8 April 2024. He also stole data "about the Baltic Fleet and the Russian military industry." The former sailor joined the Freedom of Russia Legion after defecting. HUR estimated Serpukhov will be out of action for six months. The ship was targeted for its ability to fire Kalibr and Onyx missiles.
Published Russian naval documents showed that on 7 August 2025 the Vyshniy Volochyok of the 41st brigade was damaged from colliding with the civilian tanker Nazan in Temryuk Bay while maneuvering to evade attacking Ukrainian drones.
On October 4, 2025, the Ukranian Special Forces reported that the Grad was damaged after being struck by Ukraine, on Lake Onega.
Ships +Name Hull numberLaid downLaunchedCommissionedFleetStatusGrad Sviyazhsk02127 August 20109 March 201327 July 2014CaspianActive02222 July 201110 April 201327 July 2014ActiveVelikiy Ustug65127 August 201121 May 201419 December 2014ActiveZelenyy Dol56229 August 20122 April 201512 December 2015BalticActiveSerpukhov56325 January 20133 April 201512 December 2015Active; reportedly damaged by sabotage in 2024 but participating in exercises in the Baltic as of 2025Vyshniy Volochyok60929 August 201322 August 20161 June 2018Black SeaActive; damaged in collision with civilian tanker August 2025 while undertaking evasive manoeuvres in the face of a drone attackOrekhovo-Zuyevo62629 May 201419 June 201810 December 2018Active; operating in the Mediterranean/Baltic region as of 2024Ingushetiya63029 August 201411 June 201928 December 2019ActiveGrayvoron10 April 2015April 202030 January 2021ActiveGrad24 April 201717 September 202129 December 2022BalticActive; reported struck by Ukrainian attack in October 2025 while transiting via Russian inland waterways from the Baltic to the Caspian; damage uncertain; back in service as of May 2026Naro-Fominsk59523 February 20189 December 202225 December 2023ActiveStavropol12 July 201811 June 202428 August 2025Active
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