Near the flight deck, the 30 mm CIWS cannons were moved to the aft superstructure and replaced with place for 8 octuple SA-N-9 vertical launchers (not installed).

[3] In August to November 1985 she sailed from the North via the Cape of Good Hope and the Malacca Strait to join the Soviet Navy's Pacific Fleet.

[6] Admiral Lazarev has appeared in aerial imagery from 2006 to 2014 moored in the Abrek Bay mothball fleet, near Fokino, Primorsky Krai.

[7][8] Its berth is around 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) from the Russian nuclear-powered vessel decommissioning facility at the Chazhma Bay naval yard.

In northern summer 2014, Admiral Lazarev was painted at "30 судоремонтный завод" (roughly 30th Ship Repair Factory) in the Chazhma Bay drydock to extend preservation time in the reserve fleet.