The modernization and repair work on Russia’s only aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, which has been ongoing since 2017, was suspended some time ago, and the Russian Ministry of Defense may decide not to resume it.
This was reported by The Insider with reference to Russian media, according to Ukrinform.
It is noted that the decision on whether to continue this work must be made by the Russian Navy command and the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC).
The USC stated that the issue of returning Admiral Kuznetsov to service is within the competence of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The ministry and the Navy’s high command did not respond to questions from Russian journalists.
Former commander of the Russian Pacific Fleet Admiral Sergei Avakiants called the cruiser “a passing era” and “a very expensive and ineffective naval weapon.” According to him, “the future belongs to carriers of robotic systems and unmanned aircraft.”
He noted that if a decision is made not to continue repairing the cruiser, “the only option is to take it, cut it up for scrap metal, and dispose of it.”
At the same time, current Russian strategic documents, in particular the “Fundamentals of State Policy in the Field of Naval Activities until 2030,” provide for the presence of an aircraft carrier group in both the Northern and Pacific Fleets, said Rear Admiral Mikhail Chekmasov.
However, according to him, the main issue is money, since all of Russia’s funds are going to finance the war against Ukraine.
From November 2016 to January 2017, the Admiral Kuznetsov participated in the war in Syria, after which it went in for repairs. In October 2018, the ship left the floating dock at the 82nd ship repair plant in Murmansk. At that moment, the dock sank and a tower crane fell on the cruiser.
The cruiser was towed to the 35th ship repair plant in Severomorsk. In December 2019, a fire broke out on board the ship, killing two people. In December 2022, the cruiser caught fire again, but no one was injured. In July 2024, the FSB reported that it had allegedly prevented a terrorist attack on board the ship.
The aircraft carrier Variag, built according to the same design as the Admiral Kuznetsov, was sold unfinished to China in 1998. It was completed and became the first aircraft carrier of the Chinese Navy, the Liaoning.
As reported by Ukrinform, in 2023, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine stated that the Russian military and shipbuilders were trying to shift responsibility onto each other for bringing the only Russian aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, to a critical state.
Photo: Wikipedia
Source: Russia may scrap its only aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov
