Obsolete additions made Russian numbers hollow

The Russian government sent every hull whose label made the fleet appear larger, even when the ship weakened the mission. A modern comparison would be a Falklands task force that sent carriers, amphibious ships, and merchant support with almost no modern escorts. Some Russian capital ships had been questionable designs when new and were now facing vessels built with another decade of technological development. Their presence reduced common speed, complicated command, and added crews who still had to be supplied and protected. The fleet possessed strength on paper while becoming weaker as an operating formation.