Russia is considering scrapping its only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, after years of failed repairs, rising costs and repeated accidents, according to a report by the Russian newspaper Izvestia.
Work on the ship has reportedly been suspended, and a decision on whether to continue or dismantle the vessel is expected soon, the report said. Discussions are underway between the Navy’s Main Command and United Shipbuilding Corporation, the state-owned firm overseeing the overhaul.
“The Navy’s Main Command and USC will soon decide whether it makes sense to continue work on the Admiral Kuznetsov and return it to the fleet,” Izvestia quoted a source as saying.
The Kuznetsov, commissioned in the early 1990s, has been docked since returning from Syria in 2017. It began a scheduled modernization in 2018, originally intended to end in 2022. The timeline has been extended multiple times.
The project has suffered major setbacks. In 2018, a crane collapsed onto the flight deck while the ship was leaving dry dock, causing heavy damage. In 2019, a fire during welding operations killed two crew members and injured 14. The blaze burned across 500 square meters.
Recent photos show the vessel still incomplete and moored at port. The upgrade was expected to cost $257 million and extend the ship’s life by 20 years.
The Kuznetsov remains Russia’s only aircraft carrier and the only platform for carrier-based aviation. Its loss would leave a major gap in naval capability as Western and Chinese fleets continue to expand.
Former Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Sergei Avakyants called abandoning the ship “absolutely the right move.”
“The Kuznetsov is from a different era,” Avakyants told Russian media. “This is a very expensive and ineffective naval weapon. The future lies with robotic systems and unmanned aircraft.”
The Defense Ministry and USC have not made official statements. If scrapped, the Kuznetsov would mark the end of Russia’s carrier era, with no replacement in sight.
