Older destroyers are retiring faster than their replacements arrive, reducing the fleet's numbers. Gorshkov stepped down in 1985, leaving successors who, in this interpretation, were still finding their feet and had not fully understood the destroyer force's contribution. A strong suspicion drawn from reading several accounts is that Kuznetsov's removal and Gorshkov's succession involved political relationships that remain poorly documented. Gorshkov initially appeared acceptable to Khrushchev, yet subsequently pursued priorities that did not suit him. The suggestion that this succession had been arranged remains a historical inference.
Notable Point · 1:23:10-1:25:12
Gorshkov's succession leaves a historiographical question
Falling destroyer numbers after Gorshkov's departure raise questions about his successors' priorities and the poorly documented politics of his own appointment.