The Russian Federation inherited a substantial naval force from its Soviet predecessor, particularly from the decades following the Cuban Missile Crisis that saw a spurt in Soviet naval investment. But large swathes of these vessels fell into disrepair over the 1990’s from a lack of maintenance and resources.
The Kremlin has therefore become increasingly focused on modernizing its navy with cost-effective, export-driven innovation on the one hand and iterative adaptation of present technologies on the other.
The result are flagships and first-class vessels that, while not without their technical challenges, can possess significant naval threat capabilities. Here are the most dangerous of them.