New satellite images confirm significant advancements in the construction of Russia’s largest warship to date—the Ivan Rogov-class amphibious assault ship—at the Zaliv Shipyard in the disputed region of occupied Crimea.
Released by the Ukrainian outlet Defense Express, the images highlight significant progress on the ship’s hull from 2023 to early 2025.
🇺🇦🔱New photographs have appeared (as of mid-March) of the hull of the universal landing ship (UDC) “Ivan Rogov” of Project 23900 , which is being built in Kerch at the Zaliv shipyard .
According to satellite images, the maximum length of the Project 23900 ship’s hull is pic.twitter.com/w19QGhFuPl
— Tracey SBU Fella 🇬🇧🇺🇦 #NAFO (@trajaykay) April 3, 2025
The report assesses that the vessel would be about 220 meters long, 40 meters wide, and weigh up to 44,000 tons when fully loaded, making it Russia’s largest warship built since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The massive vessel exceeds the size of the Russian warship Moskva, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, which was struck and sunk by Ukrainian forces during the 2022 invasion.
TASS- The cruiser Moskva sank while being towed in a storm, the Russian Defense Ministry said pic.twitter.com/Krc61qZWyR
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 14, 2022
The Ivan Rogov-class is reportedly designed to carry up to 20 helicopters, six landing craft, 75 armored vehicles, and 1,000 marines. It includes a flight deck and hangars, with large rectangular gaps visible in the satellite images—likely for aircraft elevators.
Official models show helicopters such as the Ka-52 and Ka-27/29 on deck. The ship could also carry drones in the future, though this has not been confirmed.
Retired Ukrainian Navy Captain Andrii Ryzhenko told Defense Express that the rationale behind deploying such a large vessel in the confined and increasingly hostile waters of the Black Sea is questionable, adding that the ship’s size is a “disadvantage, not a strength.”
“There are very few places where it can actually operate,” he said. He also warned that the ship’s defenses—limited to two Pantsir systems—are weaker than those of the Moskva, making it a likely target for Ukrainian missiles or drone boats.
Construction on the Ivan Rogov began in 2020, with an original delivery target set for 2025. However, according to Defense Express, that timeline has now been extended to at least 2028.
