In mid-May, Russia marked the start of construction of the frigate Admiral Gromov, a new Project 22350-class vessel, at the Severnaya Verf shipyard in St Petersburg. Although the ceremony received little public attention, the event is of strategic importance as it indicates Moscow’s intention to continue the programme to renew its surface fleet and to prepare, in the medium and long term, a new generation of ships for maritime theatres considered essential, including the Black Sea.
The ceremony took place in the presence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Aleksandr Moiseev, and the messages delivered on this occasion highlighted the multi-role nature of the 22350 class. In practical terms, these frigates are designed for strikes against naval and land targets, limited-area air defence, anti-submarine warfare and the escort of naval task forces. For Russia, they represent one of the few modern surface platforms capable of combining long-range weaponry, relatively advanced sensors and a degree of operational flexibility.
From a technical perspective, Project 22350 is associated in open sources with a full displacement of approximately 5,400 tonnes, a length of around 135 m, a beam of 16 m, a range of approximately 30 days ( ) and a maximum speed of around 29–29.5 knots. Depending on the source and the exact configuration of the vessel, the crew is estimated to number between approximately 170 and 210 personnel, and the range is usually placed at around 4,500–4,850 nautical miles.
The Zircon hypersonic missile: strike capability and analytical constraints
| Characteristic | Data / estimates from open sources | Operational relevance |
| Type | Hypersonic cruise missile, capable of engaging naval targets and, according to some sources, land-based targets as well. | Extends the long-range strike capabilities of Russian naval platforms. |
| Speed | In open sources, it is frequently associated with speeds of up to Mach 8–9, based on Russian claims and limited independent analyses. | It reduces the reaction time of defences and complicates interception. |
| Range | Open-source estimates generally indicate approximately 1,000 km. | It allows strikes from a safe distance against maritime or coastal targets. |
| Propulsion | It is frequently described as using a scramjet engine. | It maintains hypersonic speed for a significant portion of the flight. |
| Guidance | Sources generally mention inertial and satellite navigation, with a possible active terminal seeker. | This increases the likelihood of a precise strike, but the data remains incompletely verified. |
| Warhead | Conventional and nuclear variants appear in the open literature; figures regarding warhead mass differ between sources. | This gives it disproportionately high strategic relevance relative to the small number of carriers. |
| Level of certainty | A significant portion of the data comes from official Russian statements and OSINT analysis; independent verification is limited. | The analysis should be treated with caution, avoiding an overestimation of the declared performance. |
Characteristics of Project 22350 frigates
| Characteristic | Data / observations | Relevance |
| Displacement and dimensions | Approximately 5,400 tonnes full load displacement; 135 m length; 16 m beam. | This places them among the leading modern Russian surface platforms. |
| Speed, range, endurance | Approximately 29–29.5 knots; 4,500–4,850 nautical miles; range of approximately 30 days. | Offers flexibility for patrol, escort and long-range strikes. |
| Propulsion | CODAG system, reportedly comprising diesel engines and gas turbines. | A balance between fuel efficiency and power at high speeds. |
| Offensive armament | 16 UKSK cells on the initial units; some later versions may incorporate 24 or 32 cells for Kalibr, Oniks, Zircon or Otvet. | Provides the ships with multi-role strike capability and deterrence. |
| Defence and sensors | Poliment-Redut system, 130 mm A-192M gun, Paket-NK, dedicated radars and sonars, Ka-27 helicopter. | This enables them to operate as escort and anti-submarine warfare platforms, as well as for point-defence air defence. |
| Crew | Sources generally indicate 170–210 personnel, depending on the configuration and reporting criteria. | This reflects the ship’s level of complexity and multi-role operational requirements. |
Programme status and distribution of ships
Currently, open sources indicate that three Project 22350 frigates are already in operational service, mainly with the Northern Fleet, whilst other vessels are at various stages of construction, launch, outfitting and testing. Beyond the exact number of ships completed at any given time, the key trend is that Moscow is seeking to maintain the programme’s continuity and avoid a production halt in a naval segment where modern alternatives are scarce.
In the logic of Russian planning, the latest vessels in the series are frequently associated with a possible allocation to the Russian Black Sea Fleet, including ships such as the Admiral Spiridonov, Admiral Gromov and Admiral Vysotsky. Even if the actual pace of construction, testing and delivery remains vulnerable to industrial problems, sanctions and budgetary constraints, the general outlook is that any deployment of such platforms to the Black Sea is more likely to take place after 2030 than in the immediate future.
The military significance of the programme for the Black Sea
The Project 22350 programme must be interpreted against the backdrop of the severe deterioration of the Russian Black Sea Fleet following the war against Ukraine. The losses and damage suffered by surface vessels, vulnerability to maritime and aerial drones, as well as the constant pressure exerted by Ukrainian missiles have forced Russia to rethink the relationship between platform, engagement range and survivability. In this context, the 22350-class frigates are significant not only for their tonnage, but above all because they can serve as carriers of cruise missiles and, potentially, Zircon missiles, offering Moscow a strike option at greater range and with a shorter reaction time for the adversary. However, the presence of these ships does not negate Russia’s structural vulnerabilities in the Black Sea: access constraints, the persistent threat of drones and the need to operate in an increasingly contested environment remain major factors.
Conclusions and implications for Romania
In the medium term, the deployment of Project 22350 frigates in the Black Sea would mean an increase in the complexity of the maritime security environment for Romania, particularly if these platforms operate as carriers of Kalibr and Zircon missiles. The main implication is not merely tactical, but also one of strategic planning: Bucharest and its allies must treat the Black Sea as a theatre in which persistent surveillance, air and missile defence, the resilience of port infrastructure, and allied naval cooperation are becoming increasingly important. At the same time, the fact that these ships may not arrive in the region until the next decade provides a useful window of opportunity to strengthen its own maritime and coastal capabilities, to integrate more closely into the allied deterrence architecture, and to develop responses tailored to stand-off and hypersonic threats. In conclusion, Project 22350 does not immediately alter the balance of power in the Black Sea, but it indicates the direction in which Russia is seeking to rebuild its regional naval capabilities, and this trend must be closely monitored from the perspective of Romania’s security.
Maritime Security Forum
