On August 18, 2025, the nuclear-conventional hybrid-powered missile cruiser ADMIRAL NAKHIMOV left the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk and began its first sea trials in the White Sea, in preparation for its return to service in the Russian Navy.

The news is a significant event, especially considering that the ADMIRAL NAKHIMOV is returning to sea after being inactive for about 28 years. Moored at the Sevmash shipyard since 1997, the vessel underwent an extremely long modernization program, which began after more than a decade of inactivity due to a lack of funds. This lack of funds also forced the Russian Navy to withdraw several surface vessels from service. The modernization of the ADMIRAL NAKHIMOV actually began in 2014, and the original schedule called for its completion in 2018.

However, the aforementioned lack of funds forced the program to be postponed several times, and it was only at the end of 2024 that there was sufficient certainty that the various tests (in the factory, at the dock, and at sea) could be carried out starting in the second half of 2025.

The work on the ADMIRAL NAKHIMOV - powered by two nuclear reactors, two traditional boilers, and two steam turbines - mainly concerned the missile component, with the aim of making it the most powerful surface unit in the Russian Navy. The 10 new standardized UVPU octuple complexes - for a total of 80 cells - are intended for the vertical launch of 3M-55 ONIKS (SS-N-26 STROBILE) supersonic anti-ship missiles, 3M14Y KALIBR-NK (SS-N-30A SAGARIS) cruise missiles, and 3M-22 TSIRKON (ZIRKON SS-N-33) hypersonic missiles: The octuple complexes were installed after the removal of the 20 sub-vertical launchers located in the hull area in front of the superstructures for GRANIT (SS-N-19 SHIPWRECK) anti-ship missiles, involving extensive mechanical-structural, electrical, and electronic work.

An additional 96 vertical cells, distributed across 12 octuple modules, are reserved for the launch of surface-to-air missiles, but it is unclear which model these are: some sources mention the S-300 FORT-M (SA-N-20 GARGOYLE) system, while others refer to the naval version of the more powerful S-400 TRIUMF (SA-21 GROWLER), which is also suitable for defense against ballistic missiles.

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