Russia's ambitions to return its only aircraft carrier to combat duty may have been ended.
Báo Khoa học và Đời sống•14/07/2025
Recent reports in the Russian media suggest that the troubled effort to return the Russian Navy’s sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, to service will be ended. Work to overhaul and modernize the Cold War-era aircraft carrier began nearly eight years ago, but appears to have been abandoned long ago. Photo: @Semen Vasileyev/Anadolu Agency. As The War Zone previously reported, the Kuznetsov’s ability to return to sea has long been in doubt, and with competing priorities exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, it’s likely the warship will eventually be scrapped. Photo: @ Wikimedia Commons.
According to the Izvestia newspaper, citing what it described as "reliable sources", the Russian Navy and the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) are about to make a final decision on the fate of the Kuznetsov, with signs that they may stop the modernization program on the vessel. Photo: @ Naval News. The plan to remove Russia's only aircraft carrier from service is supported by many senior figures in the Russian Navy. Photo: @ Wikimedia Commons. Admiral Sergei Avakyants, former commander of the Russian Pacific Fleet, told the Izvestia newspaper that the Russian Navy no longer needs aircraft carriers in their classic form in the long term, describing them as "a thing of the past." Photo: @ Naval News.
Sergei Avakyants said that the Kuznetsov could be destroyed in just a few minutes with modern weapons. This is a very expensive and ineffective naval weapon. Photo: @ Wikimedia Commons. “The future belongs to robotic aircraft carriers carrying drones. And if it is decided not to continue the repair, the only thing left is to take the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier apart, cut it into scrap metal and dispose of it,” added Sergei Avakyants. Photo: @ UK Defence Journal. Sergei Avakyants’ mention of drone-carrying warships is notable in that it reflects a growing trend in many navies in Europe and elsewhere, but so far, at least, there is no indication that Russia plans to start building such vessels. Photo: @ The National Interest. As for the Kuznetsov, the ship has deteriorated significantly since its overhaul and modernization began in 2017. Soon after the ship arrived at the shipyard, there were signs that the scope of the restoration work had been significantly reduced, raising questions about the ship’s true fate. During the overhaul, the carrier suffered several fires and one sinking. By early 2021, analysis of satellite photos of the carrier showed that overhaul work had virtually stopped over the previous 12 months. Photo: @Semen Vasileyev/Anadolu Agency.
In February 2023, Kuznetsov finally left dry dock at the Sevmorput Naval Shipyard in the Murmansk region of northwestern Russia, but just two months later, reports emerged that the carrier's crew had been disbanded. Photo: @ The National Interest. Rebuilding the crew of the Kuznetsov has always been a challenge, but it is now even more so due to the ongoing military personnel shortage amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Photo: @ Naval News.
Meanwhile, as the Kuznetsov continues to age, the utility of continuing its overhaul is becoming increasingly questionable. The overhaul, which involves upgrading the propulsion system and electronics, is intended to keep the carrier in service for another decade or more, but the longer it takes, the less cost-effective it becomes. Funds for the ship’s overhaul could be better invested in more practical and sustainable efforts. Photo: @ UK Defence Journal.
Báo Khoa học và Đời sống•14/07/2025
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