 Originally laid down as Soviet Ship "Vladimir Peregudov", a "Komandam Fedko"-class merchant tanker, the ship was modified as a replenishment ship for the Soviet Navy, but building work was halted due to insufficient funding.Chinese were interested in the ship and the original chief designer of the proposed second generation Chinese replenishment ship, Chinese Academy of Sciences academician Zhang Wende (张文德) was named as the head of the Chinese delegation and chief negotiator, and his team was sent to Ukraine to evaluate the ship intended for the former Soviet navy.The Chinese delegation discovered that the main engine and the generator had been already installed, but not the pipes, cables and wires, overall they considered the ship was in excellent condition.