Dmitri Donskoi

In 1943, the Navy's Main Staff ordered the design of a light cruiser (Project 65) intended to escort battleships and heavy cruisers. The hull of the 68-bis project cruiser was used as its basis. In 1946, 40 variants of Project 65 were developed, including some with 180 mm main guns. The ship's displacement increased to 19,000 tons. Eventually, it was decided to abandon further development of the project and keep the focus on completing the 68-bis ships.