In the Soviet Navy for the marine zone in the early 60s of the twentieth century, it was decided to build specialized rescuers for surface ships and submarines separately. If the previously built sea tugs were suitable as rescuers of surface ships, then for the rescue of submarines it was decided to build rescue vessels based on the hulls of marine trackers of project 264. This is a rescue vessel for providing submarines of Project 532, was designed by TSKB-363 on the basis of the hulls of the project 264A naval minesweepers.

The rescue vessel was designed to work with an emergency submarine at a depth of up to 200 m. The total displacement of the vessel was 852 tons, the full speed was 17.87 knots. The rescue vessel was equipped with a sonar for searching underwater objects, an APT-1 underwater television system and diving and rescue bells. Rescue vessels of Project 532A were also built, equipped with slightly different rescue equipment.

Rescue ship Kazbek laid down on January 1964 at the Shipyard №363, Pontonny (yard No.543), commissioned on 31 August 1965 and assigned to the Black Sea Fleet.

On 15 May 1994 the ship was decommissioned, excluded from the lists of the Black Sea Fleet, transferred to the Odessa Shipping Company and later the ship was sold to private company.