36th Surface Ship Division
Unit Identification and Role
The 36th Surface Ship Division (36th Division of Surface Ships) and the 100th Landing Ship Brigade are major surface formations of the Russian Pacific Fleet in Primorsky Krai. The 36th Division concentrates large surface combatants for area air defense, anti-surface strike, and anti-submarine warfare tasks in the Sea of Japan/East Sea and wider Pacific. The 100th Landing Ship Brigade provides amphibious lift for naval infantry and inter-theater sealift, including routine support to garrisons in the Russian Far East and the Kuril Islands.
Basing and Facilities
These formations are homeported in the Vladivostok–Fokino cluster of Pacific Fleet bases. Large surface combatants are frequently observed at Vladivostok (Golden Horn Bay; approx. 43.11 N, 131.89 E) and at Fokino on Strelok Bay (approx. 42.98 N, 132.41 E). The 100th Landing Ship Brigade commonly uses the Dunai (Dunay) landing ship base in the Strelok/Ulitka Bay area near Fokino (approx. 42.88 N, 132.60 E). Major repair and modernization support is provided by Dalzavod Ship Repair Center in Vladivostok and Ship Repair Plant No. 30 (SRZ-30) in Fokino; larger regional industrial support includes the Zvezda complex at Bolshoy Kamen.
Order of Battle (as publicly reported)
36th Surface Ship Division: Project 1164 Atlant guided-missile cruiser Varyag (pennant 011); Project 956 Sarych destroyers Boyevoy (720), Burny (778), Bystry (715), Bezboyaznenny (754); Project 1155 Fregat large anti-submarine ships (Udaloy I) Admiral Panteleyev (548), Admiral Tributs (564), Admiral Vinogradov (572), Marshal Shaposhnikov (543). 100th Landing Ship Brigade: Project 775/775M large landing ships Peresvet (BDK-11; side 077), Admiral Nevelskoy (BDK-98; 055), Oslyabya (BDK-101; 066); Project 1171 large landing ship Nikolay Vilkov (081); Project 21820 fast landing craft Ivan Kartsov (685). Pennant numbers are hull markings that may change over time.
Flagship Cruiser Capabilities (Project 1164 Varyag)
Varyag is a Slava-class cruiser configured for long-range anti-ship and area air-defense roles. Typical characteristics: length about 186 m; beam about 20.8 m; full load displacement roughly 12,500 t; speed up to about 32 kn; air group usually one Ka-27 helicopter. Principal armament includes 16 P-1000 Vulkan supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles in fixed deck launchers; the S-300F Fort long-range naval SAM system (typically 64 ready-to-fire missiles in revolver launchers) for area air defense; Osa-MA short-range SAMs; an AK-130 130 mm gun; AK-630 30 mm CIWS; RBU-6000 ASW rocket launchers; 533 mm torpedo tubes. Varyag serves as the Pacific Fleet flagship and routinely leads task groups in the Western Pacific.
Project 1155 Destroyers (Admiral Panteleyev, Admiral Tributs, Admiral Vinogradov, Marshal Shaposhnikov)
Project 1155 (Udaloy I) ships are optimized for anti-submarine warfare with secondary surface and air-defense capabilities. Baseline characteristics: full load displacement around 7,900 t; speed about 29–30 kn; two Ka-27 ASW helicopters; 3K95 Kinzhal naval SAM (SA-N-9) for short-to-medium range air defense; URK-5 Rastrub-B (SS-N-14) ASW/anti-ship missiles in original fit; 533 mm torpedoes; RBU-6000 rocket launchers; and dual 100 mm guns with AK-630 CIWS. Marshal Shaposhnikov completed a deep modernization and returned to service in 2021; upgrades reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense include the UKSK 3S14 universal vertical launch system enabling Kalibr and Oniks cruise missiles (and associated software/hardware), multiple 3S24 Uran (Kh-35) anti-ship missile launchers, updated sensors and a new 100 mm A-190 gun. Admiral Vinogradov has been undergoing a similar deep refit at Dalzavod reported since 2020; as of open reporting through 2024 there was no official announcement of return to fleet service. Admiral Panteleyev and Admiral Tributs have remained operational in the Pacific Fleet in their original configuration, conducting regular patrols and exercises.
Project 956 Destroyers (Boyevoy, Burny, Bystry, Bezboyaznenny) — Status and Characteristics
Project 956 Sarych (NATO: Sovremenny) destroyers were designed for anti-surface warfare with strong gun armament and area air defense, but the class has suffered chronic propulsion reliability issues due to high-pressure steam plant boilers. Typical armament includes 8 P-270 Moskit (SS-N-22) anti-ship missiles, the Uragan/Shtil area air-defense system, twin 130 mm guns, and AK-630 CIWS. In the Pacific Fleet, Bystry (715) was reported decommissioned by 2020; Burny (778) has been in long-term repair status for years without return to routine operations; Boyevoy (720) and Bezboyaznenny (754) have been in prolonged inactive or reserve states. As a result, no regular blue-water deployments by these hulls have been publicly reported in recent years.
Amphibious Forces (100th Landing Ship Brigade) — Composition and Lift
The brigade’s core lift comprises three Project 775/775M Ropucha-class large landing ships (Peresvet, Admiral Nevelskoy, Oslyabya) and one Project 1171 Tapir-class large landing ship (Nikolay Vilkov), plus the high-speed Project 21820 Dyugon-class landing craft Ivan Kartsov. Approximate capacities based on class specifications: a Ropucha can carry about 10 main battle tanks (or equivalent vehicles) and roughly 300–340 troops; the Tapir-class can carry up to about 20 tanks and 300–400 troops (figures vary by source and configuration); the 21820 craft has a payload on the order of 140 t and high transit speeds (about 35–40 kn). With the listed hulls, the brigade can lift on the order of 50 tanks and over 1,200 troops in a single sortie under optimal load conditions, subject to mission configuration, sea state, and readiness.
Infrastructure and Maintenance Support
Routine and depot-level maintenance for these formations is conducted primarily at Dalzavod Ship Repair Center (Vladivostok) and SRZ-30 (Fokino). Modernization of Marshal Shaposhnikov, and the ongoing deep refit of Admiral Vinogradov, have been publicly attributed to Dalzavod. Replenishment, armament loading, and amphibious embarkation are supported by the Vladivostok base complex and the amphibious facilities at Dunay near Fokino. The regional industrial base, including Zvezda at Bolshoy Kamen, provides heavy-lift, hull work, and component support as required.
Operational Employment and Recent Activity
The 36th Division’s ships regularly conduct patrols, air-defense and ASW training in the Sea of Japan and Western Pacific, and participate in bilateral or multilateral events. Public releases in 2021 documented Marshal Shaposhnikov test-firing Kalibr and Uran missiles in the Sea of Japan following its modernization. In December 2022, Varyag and Marshal Shaposhnikov were publicly reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense and international media to have taken part in the China–Russia naval exercise Joint Sea in the East China Sea. The 100th Landing Ship Brigade routinely executes amphibious training with Pacific Fleet naval infantry (e.g., the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade) at Primorsky Krai training areas and conducts logistics runs to Far Eastern garrisons, including the Kuril Islands.
Readiness Considerations and Constraints
Readiness in the large surface combatant segment is shaped by the age of the hulls, the depth of modernization, and propulsion constraints. Project 956 destroyers in the Pacific Fleet have been largely non-operational in recent years, reducing the division’s legacy anti-surface missile capacity from that class. Modernization of Project 1155 hulls partly mitigates this by adding land-attack and anti-ship capability via UKSK and Uran systems while sustaining ASW roles. Amphibious readiness is supported by multiple Ropucha hulls and the Tapir-class Nikolay Vilkov, but availability is influenced by maintenance cycles of Soviet-era ships and weather/sea-state constraints common to operations in the Sea of Japan and North Pacific.
Strategic Significance
The Vladivostok–Fokino basing complex grants rapid access to the Sea of Japan, Tsushima and Tsugaru Straits, and the Western Pacific. The 36th Surface Ship Division provides area air defense for task groups, anti-ship strike capability, and ASW coverage for Pacific Fleet operations. The 100th Landing Ship Brigade underpins expeditionary lift for naval infantry and sustains outlying garrisons in Sakhalin and the Kurils, contributing to posture and presence in the Northern Pacific and the approaches to the Sea of Okhotsk.
Data Currency and Caveats
All platform details, pennant numbers, and status notes are derived from publicly available reporting as of 2024–2025. The status of individual hulls, especially those in repair or modernization, can change with new fleet announcements. Pennant numbers may be repainted, and deployment patterns vary with exercise schedules and maintenance. Where specific figures vary by source (e.g., amphibious troop capacities), ranges are provided.