Kirov-class (Project 1144 Orlan)

The Kirov class, designated Project 1144 Orlan, is a series of nuclear-powered guided-missile heavy cruisers constructed at the Baltic Shipyard in Leningrad. Originally designed to counter submarines, the class evolved to prioritize anti-ship operations against carrier strike groups. The Soviet Navy planned five vessels, of which four were completed between 1974 and 1998. The hull design was also adapted for the nuclear-powered command and control ship SSV-33 Ural.

The vessels utilize combined nuclear and steam propulsion (CONAS), featuring nuclear reactors supplemented by conventional steam turbines. As the largest surface combatants in operation excluding aircraft carriers, the class carries a suite of long-range anti-ship missiles and multi-tiered surface-to-air missile systems. Design variations exist between individual hulls; earlier ships utilized anti-submarine missiles and point-defense guns, while later units integrated the Kinzhal missile system and Kortik gun-missile complexes. Pyotr Velikiy is equipped for ballistic missile defense. Current modernization programs for the class include the integration of vertical launch systems (VLS) intended for hypersonic missiles and updated air defense systems.

The lead ship, Kirov (later renamed Admiral Ushakov), was commissioned in 1980. It was withdrawn from service following a 1990 reactor accident and remains laid up for scrapping. Frunze (later renamed Admiral Lazarev) entered service in 1984 with the Pacific Fleet and was decommissioned in 1998; dismantlement began in 2021. Kalinin (later renamed Admiral Nakhimov) was commissioned in 1988 and completed a protracted modernization at the Severodvinsk shipyard. She was refloated in July 2025, moved under her own power for the first time in 28 years that August, entered the final phase of sea trials in June 2026 and arrived at Severomorsk on 25 June 2026; the Navy commander-in-chief has said acceptance into service is expected during 2026. The fourth ship, Pyotr Velikiy, was commissioned in 1998 and serves as the flagship of the Northern Fleet. Pyotr Velikiy has been laid up alongside at Severomorsk since the autumn of 2022 and has not put to sea since, with Russian reporting indicating she is to be withdrawn and Admiral Nakhimov to take over as Northern Fleet flagship. Plans for a fifth vessel were abandoned in 1990.