Instead of returning the Admiral Kuznetsov to service, russia is considering permanently decommissioning the vessel. This seems like a logical development in the seven-year history surrounding the country's only aircraft carrier. At first glance, this appears to be a rational decision by russia to move away from its "great power" ambitions.
However, in practice, russia does not really want to give up large and expensive ships. This raises the question of why russia needs large landing ships for the Ka-52K and where they might be used now.
Read more: Starlink Analog For russian Naval Drones: Instead of Breakthrough, Backflip Into the 1990s
russian sources report that on July 8, 2025, Sergei Kabanov, a new large landing ship of Project 11711, with serial number 305, was laid down. The ship was laid down at the Yantar Shipyard in the Kaliningrad region.
The key feature of this ship is that it is an improved variant of Project 11711, designated as 11711M, which differs from the base model by having larger hull dimensions and the capacity to accommodate up to four Ka-52K or Ka-29 helicopters.
This variant, designated 11711M, includes the landing ship Vladimir Andreyev, which was formally launched in June 2025. Construction is being carried out by the same Yantar Shipyard. In this case, however, the launch was purely ceremonial, as Vladimir Andreyev was removed from the slipway and immediately transferred to the PD-8 floating dock, without ever entering the sea.
It turns out that russia is currently building its third 11711M ship. This raises the question of where the Kremlin intends to conduct amphibious operations and whether it has the necessary resources to do so.
Given the losses sustained in the war against Ukraine, where at least four large landing ships were sunk, it is hard to justify russia's continued investment in such vessels. However russia continues to build large and expensive ships, despite the land-based nature of the war against Ukraine and the possibility of a major war against NATO in Europe.
This suggests that russia is willing to keep wasting resources on a naval show of "great power" — even as its aircraft carrier faces permanent decommissioning due to its critically poor technical condition.
It should be noted that ships of the 11711M variant have a hull length of 150 meters, a full displacement of 8,000 (or even 9,500 tons, according to some sources). They are capable of carrying up to 26 main battle tanks or up to six motor rifle companies equipped with armored personnel carriers.
Read more: Invisible Submarine Hunter: UK to Build $477M Factory for AI Powered Underwater Drone to Counter russia
