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Russia Launches New Amphibious Ship to Replace Black Sea Losses—But It Hasn’t Touched Water Yet
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Russia has formally launched the first of its new Project 11711M “Kaiman” amphibious assault ships in an attempt to replenish severe losses in the Black Sea—yet the launch appears more symbolic than operational, Ukrainian defense media Defense Express reported on July 4.
The vessel, Vladimir Andreev, is intended to carry Ka-52K attack helicopters and restore some of the lost capacity following the sinking of four major landing ships during its war against Ukraine.
The launch ceremony took place on May 30, 2025, in the port city of Baltiysk, attended by Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Aleksandr Moiseyev.
However, the term “launch” is generous: the Vladimir Andreev was merely transferred from the Yantar Shipyard slipway into a floating dock (PD-8), meaning the vessel has not yet touched the waters of the Baltic Sea. The ship still requires outfitting before it can undergo an actual sea launch.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, the Black Sea Fleet has lost four large landing ships—Minsk, Saratov, Novocherkassk, and Caesar Kunikov—to Ukrainian attacks.
Another, the Olenegorsky Gornyak, was damaged. The construction of the Vladimir Andreev marks the first tangible replacement, albeit incomplete, in what is proving to be a prolonged and resource-intensive recovery effort for the Russian Navy.
Vladimir Andreev is the first of the enhanced Project 11711M class, an evolution of the original Project 11711. The design features larger displacement—up to 9,500 tons—and expanded capacity for troops, vehicles, and helicopters.
It is expected to carry up to four helicopters, including Ka-52K or Ka-29 variants, along with either 26 main battle tanks or up to six motorized rifle companies equipped with armored personnel carriers.
A second ship in the same class, Vladimir Trushin, is currently under construction at the same shipyard. Both vessels were laid down in 2019 and were initially scheduled for completion in 2023–2024, but delays have pushed their projected commissioning to 2026.
Initially, Russian sources claimed that the first two 11711M ships were destined for the Pacific Fleet. However, in October 2023, Russian state media suggested that subsequent ships of this class could be reassigned to the Black Sea Fleet to help compensate for combat losses there.
Given that some of the sunken vessels had previously been transferred from the Northern and Baltic Fleets, the Navy’s overall capacity for amphibious operations has been significantly diminished across its regional commands.
Earlier, Russia’s Armed Forces had begun escorting shadow fleet oil tankers through the Gulf of Finland.
