No, nuclear armed versions is impossible. Well not 100% impossible since there was a nuclear armed version, yet I don’t think they would allow anyone to come close to such weapon (well someone from the West I mean) and they’d probably not expose the missiles like this.
I am researching it now. And getting very good results up till now, yet I’m waiting to finish it to explain everything over here (and asking permission to use the information of course).
I don’t know what the pictures show, I’ll show them to my source. Maybe he knows what it means.
Maybe there are two mock-ups or test-missiles… And of course it might sound stupid of me, having such sources, but still asking these questions over here. I just don’t like to bother them too much with such things and thought someone over here might know…

And of course the new Chinese FAC…

hmm, so we have a different kind of media explanations… Well, I’m not going to look for it myself! I’ve seen the Sarcophague, the large concrete block they built around the ruins of the plant… It’s full of tears and will probably collapse anywhere soon. (although there were talks for getting some funding to repair it and make it better than before). I don’t know what happened as of now. Not my main interest since it doesn’t got anything to do with Russian Navy :p

Indeed they seem to have the Bulava working…

…Defense Ministry to get $19.6bn in 2005
September 29, 2004 Posted: 08:53 Moscow time (04:53 GMT)

MOSCOW – Some RUR573bn (about USD19.6bn) will be allocated to the Russian Defense Ministry in the 2005 federal budget, Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov told journalists yesterday. He mentioned that the ministry was satisfied with the sum that was RUR70bn (about USD2.4bn) higher than in the 2004 budget. Ivanov specified that some RUR45bn (about USD1.54bn) of the additional RUR70bn would be spent on a program to technically upgrade the armed forces. The rest of these resources will be allocated for paying compensations to servicemen and maintaining military enlistment offices.

Ivanov said that using RUR45bn, the ministry could buy 4 intercontinental ballistic missiles, 9 spacecraft, 6 carrier rockets, 50 BTR-80 personnel carriers, and continue development of the new missile system Bulava and creating strategic submarines for it. According to the minister, the ministry is planning to accomplish 300 scientific and research activities and put into service about 300 new weapons next year.

And of course:

Russia Tests Bulava (SS-N-30) Sea-Launched Missile
September 23, 2004 :: News
As expected, Russia today test launched its new Bulava submarine launched intercontinental ballistic missile, according to the Interfax news agency. A Russian nuclear submarine, the Dmitry Donskoy, fired the Bulava missile from the White Sea.

The test coincides with Russia’s launch of two Kosmos military satellites today, as reported by Itar-Tass, which are used to monitor ballistic missile launches.

Interfax initially reported that the missile traveled to its intended target successfully. Another report said the test consisted of only a “pop-up,” a test of the release mechanism which ejects the missile from the submarine, and involved no actual firing of the missile’s engine.

Update: The latter report is confirmed by another report by Interfax, which quoted Russian Defense Minister Sergey Ivanov:

The Bulava system was tested under water last week, Ivanov said. “The tests were successful,” he said. The minister said they used a real-size mock-up of the missile for tests. It was fired from the submerged Dmitriy Donskoy submarine. “The mock-up was delivered to a height where the cruise engine starts working,” Ivanov said. The tests showed that the missile system could be fired from submerged submarines, the minister said.

New Russian Sub Will Test Bulava Missile System
August 4, 2004 :: Interfax :: News
Russia’s new nuclear submarine, the Dmitri Donskoy, has left for extended trials in the White Sea, reports the Interfax news agency from Russia. After these trials, it will eventually return to the shipyard, and then join the Northern Fleet. Interfax noted that when it does so, it will have had installed the latest Bulava missile system, which will then be tested from the Dmitri Donskoy. The Bulava or SS-NX-30 is the sea-launched equivalent of the SS-27 Topol-M, and is being installed on all new submarines. •

So eventually, Donskoy will receive its full active status again, with the Bulava system instead of the older one. Although I’m not sure whether this was on old report (since Donskoy was relaunched somewhere 2 years ago, with the same remarks as this message). And I don’t think they could fit in an entire Bulava system within a month or even two months. So, maybe now it has only two tubes for the Bulava… The older system the Sturgeon, was removed two years ago iirc…

Hmm, as far as I know, the safety bars (the ones you put inside your reactor to control and eventually stop the chain reaction) were mechanical, not working on gravity. In US, or at least in the subs I think, these are connected to an electro-magnet on top. If electric current is blocked, the thing just drops inside and automatically stops the reaction.
In Ukraine, I heard these rods were connected to a mechanical device. When current ran out, they had to put these things manually in the reactor, hence they were too late…

I don’t really consider that as being superstructure, since it’s basically to put arms on it…
But idd it’s being erased. Even without that part, it’s somewhat equal to Kuznetsov and that one has a huge island too.
The funnels, you can get rid of that if you really want to. I’ve seen it on the old carriers, putting your funnels on the sides of your deck. A current ship incorporating such is the Foudre class LPD. I think it’s slightly cheaper too, since the funnel can then be placed right on top of the engineroom, which would then save space inside and make the things shorter, it also releases less heat that way. It’s always done in merchant= cheap ships.
Yes the radar changes, still no one knows what ‘s going to be there, not even what kind of SAM there will be…

Here’re some more pictures of the Kilo and close-up Sov, you can see the railings are sometimes a bit bent. It was the first time I worked with Photo Etched parts.
For the small Pauk II class vessel I made the flagstaffs myself. That was the first time I ever changed something on a model…
And also, the place where it all happens, a regular desk in a regular room with a regular paintbrush. You can see the USS Enterprise in the back.
The cardboard model of KNM Skjold…

hmm,
there’s another Akula, named Cougar. Don’t know which version though.
I’ve been looking at some pictures now and it seems that Tigr looks quite similar to Vepr. Having a lengthened sail and of course the additional torpedo tubes.
Vepr:

Tigr:

Of course you cannot identify these single ships on sight, but the source gives those names for these ships… I suppose they’ll know, since the ship leaves port and maybe someone inside tells them which ship has left.