This is no aircraft carrier: Ukrainian Navy Spokesperson says Russia's theft of ship from Ukraine backfired
Photo: Admiral Kuznetsov in the Russian floating dock (Russian media)
Russia has never built a single aircraft carrier throughout its entire existence, as the only ship of this class currently in Russian possession, the Admiral Kuznetsov, was stolen from Ukraine by the Kremlin. But this theft brought Russia no luck - the ship has become a burden, not an asset, RBC-Ukraine reports, citing Spokesperson for the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Dmytro Pletenchuk.
Ukrainian spokesperson noted that neither the USSR nor Russia ever truly possessed aircraft carriers. What Russians call an "aircraft-carrying cruiser" is simply a warship with a deck capable of carrying a small number of aircraft.
In 70 years, the Soviet Union failed to build a single genuine aircraft carrier - only aircraft-carrying cruisers. And the full extent of Russian shipbuilding "talent" was enough only to steal the Ukrainian cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov, which in 1991 was supposed to be handed over to Ukraine.
"Not many people know that this aircraft-carrying cruiser was simply stolen. During the division of the Black Sea Fleet, the Russians left the Ukrainian crew ashore, urgently sailed the ship north, and incorporated it into the Northern Fleet," Pletenchuk said.
According to the Navy spokesperson, the theft did not bring the Russians any luck. The ship turned out to be a burden. The Kremlin lacks the technology, the specialized aircraft, and the capability to carry out proper repairs of the cruiser.
Russia simply cannot keep the ship operational. It has problems everywhere - from the engine room to the aviation systems on the deck. As a result, the Kuznetsov has become more of a problem than a source of pride for the Russian Navy.
Shame of the Russian fleet
The Kuznetsov has been under repair since 2018 and has suffered a string of incidents, including the sinking of a floating dry dock and several fires. For instance, in late December 2022, a fire broke out on board, effectively shackling the Kuznetsov to the dock for good.
There are suspicions that Russian officials have turned the ship into a massive corruption scheme. An estimated 60 to 120 billion rubles may have been embezzled during Kuznetsov's so-called repairs.
Earlier, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence reported that Russia's cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov is in critical condition. It also emerged that part of its crew was sent to fight in Ukraine, while its aircraft were reassigned to escort Tu-95MS bombers.
In July 2025, Russian media began discussing scrapping the cruiser altogether, saying the 40-year-old vessel no longer meets the demands of modern warfare.
