Russian Navy cruiser sails on first sea trials in over 25 years

A Russian Navy warship has sailed on its first sea trials after spending more than 25 years in deep refurbishment, Russia's state-owned news agency TASS said on Monday, August 18.

The report cited an industry source, who said that the factory sea trials of the 253-metre, nuclear-powered guided-missile cruiser Admiral Nakhimov will initially be conducted in the White Sea.

Additional tests will afterwards be carried out in the Barents Sea over a span of several months.

Admiral Nakhimov is the third cruiser in the Russian Navy's four-strong Kirov-class. Only three ships of the class remain in service following Admiral Lazarev's scrapping in 2021.

Commissioned in 1988, Nakhimov saw service with the Soviet and then Russian Navies in the decade that followed until she was docked at local shipyard Sevmash in 1999, remaining there ever since with occasional repairs being undertaken.

In 2006, the Russian Government decided to modernise the cruiser with upgraded weaponry and other equipment and return her to operational status. However, the actual works commenced only in 2013 and have been continuously delayed.

Andrey Kostin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sevmash parent company United Shipbuilding Corporation, had earlier assured during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin that Nakhimov will go out to sea for testing following the completion of repair work.