Russia's only aircraft carrier, Admiral Kuznetsov, may never return from repairs
The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is unlikely to be repaired (photo: t.me/nexta_live)
The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, which has been under repair for 7 years, may never be repaired and may never set sail again. The Su-33 fighters, which were part of the ship's air group, are currently being used by Russia to escort strategic bombers Tu-95MS, reports Defence Express.
Defence Express noted that some Russian pilots capable of taking off from the aircraft carrier's deck are already retired, while others perform much easier flights from land and need to undergo retraining to regain their skills for takeoff and landing on the deck. Such retraining requires a year.
At the same time, Admiral Kuznetsov is the only one Russia has, so the ship holds significant propaganda value for Russia. "That’s why the Russians are spending huge amounts of money on its restoration and the quickest possible return to service."
Defense Express also pointed out that Russia had planned to bring the Kuznetsov out of repair last year, and Kremlin media reported the start of the process for preparing pilots for these aircraft.
At the same time, the only training facility for such preparation is located near the occupied city of Saky in Crimea, meaning the Su-33 aircraft should be there. However, it turned out that these fighter jets are not undergoing training and are still located in northern Russia, where they are escorting Tu-95MS bombers from the Olenya airfield in the Murmansk region.
Additionally, according to media reports, Russia only has about 17 Su-33 aircraft, all of which were previously part of the Admiral Kuznetsov air group. Towards the end of 2023, it was revealed that these aircraft were retired to the shore to form a separate mixed aviation corps for the Northern Fleet.
In the opinion of the Defense Express editorial team, this, among other things, hinted at the real condition of the aircraft carrier.
Defense Express concluded that the Russian authorities will continue to waste money on the aircraft carrier’s repairs, while Admiral Kuznetsov will continue to rust in dry docks, given the real pace of its repairs and the new issues that arise with the ship. Therefore, it is unlikely that the Russian aircraft carrier will ever leave repair.
What is the situation with the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov
The Russian aircraft carrier Kuznetsov has been undergoing scheduled repairs since 2018, following its return from a deployment in the Mediterranean Sea. In 2018, during the vessel's descent into the water, an accident occurred, resulting in a crane falling onto the ship.
In 2019, a fire broke out on Admiral Kuznetsov, resulting in the deaths of two people and 14 others being injured. Additionally, another fire occurred on the Russian aircraft carrier at the end of 2022.
In July 2023, it was reported that Russia had once again pushed back the timeline for Admiral Kuznetsov to leave repair.
Earlier, the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Ministry of Defense stated that the Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov was in critical condition.
