Nuclear Cruiser Admiral Nakhimov Returns to Sea After 28 Years
The nuclear-powered battlecruiser Admiral Nakhimov, pride of the Soviet fleet, has completed a decadal modernization and refit program. The vessel was recently spotted departing Sevmash Shipyard for long-awaited builder's trials on the White Sea.
Admiral Nakhimov is the third of four Kirov-class nuclear battlecruisers laid down in the twilight years of the Soviet era. Designed as a true multirole surface combatant, the Kirov-class carried heavy weaponry built to target NATO's submarines, carriers, aircraft and destroyers. The large size and weight of these weapons systems influenced the selection of a large platform: the design weighs in at 28,000 tonnes full load displacement - about three times the size of an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The class is the largest surface combatant in service today, and the only one with a nuclear powerplant. Fitted with a pair of nuclear reactors and twin oil-fired boilers, the Kirov-class can hit 32 knots at full steam.
Commissioned in late 1988, Nakhimov served in an active role for nearly a decade. But Russia's struggling economy in the 1990s meant that funding was scarce for a super-warship like Nakhimov; the vessel tied up at a Murmansk pier in 1997 and didn't sail again under her own power for the next 28 years.
Beginning in 2010, Nakhimov's reactor was defueled, and from 2014 onward the vessel underwent a deep refit. The weapons systems were largely removed and replaced, and Nakhimov was fitted out to carry the more modern Kalibr anti-ship missile and the S-300FM surface to air missile system. The project's scope was ambitious and has been delayed multiple times; it is currently about seven years behind schedule, but has finally been seen out on sea trials.
Today, the Project 11442M Kirov-class heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov after repair and modernization went to sea for factory sea trials.
— Massimo Frantarelli (@MrFrantarelli) August 18, 2025
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Nakhimov (in her original configuration) sailed with a crew of 700 officers and enlisted sailors. Russia's ongoing activities in Ukraine have created manning challenges, highlighted by reported crew reassignment from the carrier Admiral Kuznetsov. But the Nakhimov's sea trials suggest that the Russian Navy can still generate at least a minimum operating crew for its largest, most complex platforms.
Only one other Kirov-class remains. Sister ship Pyotr Velikiy (top) was completed in the post-Soviet era and is in service with the Northern Fleet; the vessel has not been modernized, and is rumored to be headed for removal from service after Nakhimov's reactivation. The first two Kirov-class hulls have already been decommissioned. With Admiral Kuznetsov's refit canceled, Nakhimov appears next in line to become the flagship of Russia's navy.