Kyiv reports serious problems with Russia's only aircraft carrier vessel

Renovations on the Russian Navy flagship, Admiral Kuznetsov, have hit another snag with the vessel in such poor condition that it can't move under its own power, according to Ukraine's defence ministry, Newsweek writes.

Equipped with anti-ship and air-defence missile systems, the 1,000-foot warship is Russia's only aircraft carrier, but it has been out of service and in dry dock for repairs since 2017.

Refurbishing the vessel is expected to extend its combat potential and increase its lifespan for another 10 to 15 years, but the process has been beset by accidents, fires and corruption.

Describing the latest setback, the Ukrainian defence ministry said on January 9 that the vessel being repaired at the Zvyozdochka shipyard in the Barents Sea port city of Murmansk in Russia's northwest was in "a state of emergency."

It said that the ship was going to be transferred to another dock, but as it was getting ready to be shifted "it became clear that the cruiser was not capable of moving under its own power."

Kyiv said that several tug ships were deployed, "however, this also turned out to be impossible due to the critical condition of the ship's hull," according to a translation.

Ship repair specialists warned that the condition of the ship "does not allow it to be launched" for fear it would tip over and sink, it added. Ukraine also said that diving teams found the metal structures below the third deck had corroded and that the holds were "completely filled" with muddy water, complicating examining the vessel from the inside.

Kyiv said that those involved in the renovation are trying to shift the blame and Russian Navy commanders fined the management of the ship repair plant 1.5 billion rubles ($21.5 million) for not meeting deadlines.

The process of renovating the ship has faced several setbacks including most recently a fire last month, although there were no casualties.

In October 2018, Russia's biggest floating dry dock, PD-50, sank, causing one of its 70-ton cranes to crash onto the ship's flight deck. In December 2019, two crew died and others were injured after a fire that started in the hold that caused an estimated $8 million worth of damage.

In March 2021, the director general of the shipyard overseeing the repairs was arrested for embezzlement of funds totalling 45 million rubles.

Alexei Rakhmanov, general director of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) which is overseeing repairs, said in December, before the latest fire, that the vessel was on track to be put into operation by 2024.

Newsweek has contacted USC and the Russian defence ministry for comment.