Russia's naval flagship in limbo amidst stalled upgrades
Analyses of the latest satellite images confirm that the flagship of the Northern Fleet remains immobilised at the base in Severodvinsk. The Russians have not used it for two years, and no one knows what plans they have for the future.
According to analysts at Defence Express, the cruiser Pyotr Velikiy will never return to service. The ship is in poor technical condition, but despite long-standing rumours of its being written off as a loss, the Russians have yet to take steps in that direction, likely due to propaganda reasons.
Pyotr Velikiy immobilised at the base in Severodvinsk
OSINT analyst (so-called open-source intelligence) MT_Anderson published satellite images of the naval base in Severodvinsk from 11th March 2025. Comparing them with images from two years ago, it can be noted that the position of the cruiser Pyotr Velikiy has remained unchanged.
According to Defence Express, Pyotr Velikiy remains docked at the quay in Severodvinsk, and at first glance, there appear to be no changes in the ship’s status.
Problematic Russian ships
According to experts, the Russian Navy's command has postponed the final decision regarding the future of the cruiser Pyotr Velikiy until the return to service of the cruiser Admiral Nakhimov, which has been ongoing for almost 30 years.
In July 2023, when reports emerged about Pyotr Velikiy being written off, propaganda media suggested that nothing of the sort would happen. The Russians claimed that this ship was part of the combat composition of the Northern Fleet and was preparing for repair and modernisation works. However, these were never undertaken, as confirmed by the latest satellite images.
All units of Project 1144 (they built a total of four) are a painful experience for the Russians. Two were decommissioned in the early 21st century, and the remaining two are Pyotr Velikiy and Admiral Nakhimov. They have already allocated about five billion dollars for the repair of the latter, which is likely to discourage them from undertaking the modernisation of Pyotr Velikiy.
The Project 1144 missile cruisers are characterised by a length of about 252 metres and a width of over 28 metres. Their displacement is over 27,500 tonnes, and the arsenal they carry can include P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles, anti-aircraft missiles, as well as torpedoes and depth charges. Several different calibre guns were also mounted on their decks.
