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Admiral Kuznetsov—The Last Soviet Carrier—Could Be Scrapped as Russia’s Naval Ambitions Falter
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
The Russian Ministry of Defense is reportedly considering abandoning repairs of its sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, after years of delays, cost overruns, and repeated disasters. The warship, laid up since 2018, may now be scrapped entirely, sources told Izvestia on July 11.
According to the report, both the Russian Navy command and United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC)—the state-owned company responsible for the carrier’s overhaul—are in active discussions about whether it is worthwhile to return the heavily damaged ship to operational service. For now, all repair and modernization work has been suspended.
Former Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Sergei Avakyants praised the potential cancellation, calling it “absolutely the right decision.”
“Aircraft carriers are a relic of a bygone era,” Avakyants said. “They’re expensive and ineffective. The future lies in robotic systems and unmanned aviation. If they decide not to continue the repairs, the Admiral Kuznetsov should just be cut up for scrap.”
The carrier has been undergoing what was initially billed as a major upgrade following its return from Syria in 2017.
During that deployment, it launched airstrikes against targets in Syria but suffered mechanical failures and accidents. The ship entered dry dock in 2018, but the modernization has since faced a series of catastrophic setbacks.
In October 2018, a crane collapsed onto the deck during its departure from floating dock PD-50 at the 82nd Shipyard in Roslyakovo, causing severe structural damage. The following year, a major onboard fire killed two people and injured more than a dozen others.
The repair timeline—originally slated to end in 2022—was extended multiple times, with costs estimated at $257 million. The overhaul was expected to extend the carrier’s service life by another 20 years. That now appears unlikely.
Despite its deteriorated condition, the Admiral Kuznetsov is still officially recognized in Russia’s naval strategy documents, which envision carrier groups in both the Northern and Pacific Fleets.
However, Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mikhail Chekmasov noted that “funding is the real issue, especially given the ongoing ‘special military operation.’ Right now, victory there is the priority. Everything else comes after.”
Some analysts still argue that carriers remain relevant. Military expert Captain First Rank Vasily Dandykin pointed out that nations like China and India are continuing to build up their carrier fleets.
“Yes, Admiral Kuznetsov has been plagued by problems—long delays, a fire, serious damage—but the fact that so many countries are investing in aircraft carriers shows they’re still needed,” he said.
A similar view was expressed by Ilya Kramnik of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Center for Strategic Planning. He stressed that Russia’s navy needs its own floating airfield.
“We should use what we’ve learned from Admiral Kuznetsov to build something new,” Kramnik said. “We have the shipyards capable of producing a carrier of that size.”
In the meantime, Russia has reportedly repurposed crew from the Admiral Kuznetsov into a mechanized battalion dubbed “Frigate” and deployed them to fight in its war against Ukraine.
Earlier, a recently released satellite image revealed the current state of Russia’s nuclear-powered battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy (Project 1144 “Orlan”), which remains moored at the naval base in Severomorsk.
Once the flagship of the Russian Northern Fleet and the largest combat vessel in the country’s navy, the warship’s future remains uncertain.
