A Flagship for a Multipolar Maritime Order

On 25 July 2025, the Russian Navy re-floated the Admiral Nakhimov, a Kirov-class nuclear-powered cruiser, marking her return to the water after more than 25 years of deep modernisation (Military Watch Magazine, 2025). Less than a month later, on 18 August 2025, she was seen departing the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk to begin factory and sea trials – her first operational movements in decades (Naval News, 2025; Janes, 2025). These trials in August confirm that the world’s most heavily armed surface combatant is on track to re-enter active service, fully modernised and positioned as the flagship of Russia’s Northern Fleet, while serving as a strategic symbol of BRICS+ determination to challenge NATO’s maritime dominance.

Commissioned to Russia in 1988 and a crown jewel of the Soviet blue-water navy (Wikipedia, 2025), Admiral Nakhimov remained inactive during the turbulence of the 1990s and early 2000s, when Western-imposed economic pressures and industrial decline hampered Russia’s shipbuilding. Major modernisation began in 2013–2014 (Baird Maritime, 2025) despite ongoing sanctions aimed at undermining Russia’s strategic industries. Her 2025 return demonstrates Russia’s ability to sustain high-technology naval production under pressure, while also underscoring the determination of BRICS+ nations to safeguard independent defence capabilities.

“From the Arctic ice to the Cape sea lanes, BRICS+ now sails with a flagship that declares: maritime sovereignty is the right of all nations, not the privilege of a few.”

Strategic Reach and Deterrent Power

The refit has transformed Nakhimov into a formidable anti-access/area-denial platform. With 96 vertical launch cells for long-range surface-to-air missiles – reported as either an upgraded S-300 Fort-M fit or a navalised S-400 (Naval News, 2025) – and 80 UKSK cells for strike weapons, she can secure vast zones of the Arctic and North Atlantic and deter any hostile surface group well before it can threaten Russian waters. Close- to medium-range defence is reinforced by Pantsir-M systems (Naval News, 2025). These layers make her the centrepiece of Russia’s Arctic defence strategy, ensuring strategic submarines and trade routes remain secure under Russian protection.

Her reactivation marks a decisive shift in the balance of power at sea. For the first time in decades, a BRICS+ navy deploys a nuclear-powered surface combatant capable of matching or surpassing the reach and strike capacity of any adversary (Military Watch Magazine, 2025). This development reshapes operational planning for any force contemplating entry into zones covered by Russia’s A2/AD envelope. It forces adversaries to consider not only the missile range but the ship’s ability to integrate with coastal defences, long-range aviation, and other fleet units.

The Nakhimov’s endurance – granted by nuclear propulsion – gives her the ability to sustain high-speed operations for extended periods without refuelling, making her ideal for defending the Northern Sea Route and projecting security in the High North. In addition, the integration of Zircon hypersonic missiles presents a threat profile few navies can counter: a combination of speed, manoeuvrability, and destructive power that renders traditional carrier-based strike groups vulnerable far from their intended operational areas.

The BRICS+ Maritime Arc and Global South Sovereignty

The broader significance lies in the BRICS+ maritime network. Russia’s Arctic bastion, China’s vast Pacific fleet, India’s growing Indian Ocean presence, Brazil’s protection of South Atlantic lanes, and South Africa’s control of the Cape chokepoint form a coordinated arc of maritime security. This is not a reactive posture but a deliberate alignment to protect the sovereignty and trade routes of the Global South. Even without constant joint operations, the potential for collaboration forces any would-be aggressor to reconsider maritime coercion.

For nations across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, the symbolism is powerful. BRICS+ countries share a long history of resisting foreign naval interference – from sanctions blockades to direct military intimidation. Admiral Nakhimov stands as a defensive shield, guaranteeing the right of independent states to trade freely, protect their resources, and navigate their seas without external dictates.

Her return also aligns with the BRICS+ agenda of securing multipolar infrastructure. China commands the world’s largest navy by ship numbers (Wikipedia, 2025). India expands its carrier and missile destroyer fleets. Brazil secures the South Atlantic’s vital oil fields. South Africa ensures safe passage around the Cape. In this framework, Nakhimov’s advanced systems add a decisive layer of deterrence and operational reach.

The synergy is already evident in expanding BRICS+ naval dialogue, joint exercises, and mutual port access. From the Northern Sea Route to the Indian Ocean and South Atlantic, these capabilities underpin energy corridors and trade networks designed to serve the Global South without dependence on Western-controlled routes. A Nakhimov-led Russian surface group operating alongside Chinese and Indian assets could secure vital choke points such as the Suez Canal approaches, the Strait of Malacca, and the Mozambique Channel, further reinforcing the bloc’s maritime sovereignty.

The decision to focus resources on Nakhimov rather than modernising Pyotr Velikiy (Wikipedia, 2025) reflects a strategic concentration of firepower and prestige. Across the Global South, the image of a BRICS+ member operating the world’s most powerful surface combatant reinforces the reality that advanced naval technology and maritime sovereignty are not exclusive to any one bloc.

While other alliances may field more ships overall, Admiral Nakhimov alters the equation: any hostile force entering her operational radius will face unprecedented risk. She will operate with the support of escorts and integrated air and sea defence, ensuring that any aggression is met with decisive counter-measures.

The return of Admiral Nakhimov is both an industrial triumph and a strategic milestone for BRICS+. It signals the end of an era when one bloc could dictate the terms of maritime engagement. In steel, nuclear propulsion, and advanced missile technology, she embodies the principle that the seas are a shared global commons – defended by those with the will and capability to ensure their freedom from domination.

****Gillian Greer Schutte is an award-winning South African filmmaker, writer, and critical race theorist whose work bridges media, politics, and social justice. An honorary lecturer at Wits University’s Graduate School of Public and Development Management, she has produced globally used hypermedia and film case studies in collaboration with the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Widely published in academic journals and international newspapers, her work interrogates poverty, geopolitics, extractive mining, and neoliberal economics across the Global South, with documentaries and hybrid films that challenge dominant narratives and amplify marginalised voices.

** The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of IOL or Independent Media.

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