A frigate force bridging Soviet hulls and new construction

Russia's frigate inventory is split between elderly hulls and a restarted construction programme. It includes two Krivak-class ships commissioned in 1980 and 1981, the Neustrashimy pair begun in the late Soviet period, and two Gepard-class frigates used in the Caspian Sea. The Neustrashimy timeline is especially revealing: one hull launched in 1991 did not commission until 2009, so a recent commissioning date can conceal an elderly ship. The Admiral Grigorovich ships were laid down in 2010, 2011, and 2012, launched in 2014 and 2015, and commissioned in 2016 and 2017. They provided a practical stepping stone toward the more capable Admiral Gorshkov class. The assessment is that at least one of the Black Sea ships appears severely damaged, while claims that both have been badly damaged remain disputed.