Media: Russia’s only aircraft carrier set for scrap PHOTO

Moscow is reportedly preparing to retire its sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, marking the likely end of Russian carrier aviation for the foreseeable future.

Sources indicate the vessel will either be scrapped or sold, with officials citing prohibitive repair costs, corruption, and sanctions-related shortages of spare parts, 19FortyFive reports.

Once intended as a symbol of Soviet naval ambition, the Kuznetsov has been plagued by failures since its 1991 commissioning. Its mazut-fuelled engines emitted thick black smoke, while its ski-jump design limited aircraft payloads and sortie rates.

Engineers now say all eight KVG-4 turbo-pressure boilers would need replacing—an effort deemed economically unviable.

“The ship is over 40 years old and extremely expensive to repair,” Andrei Kostin, chairman of Russia’s state shipbuilding corporation, told Kommersant. “There is no point in repairing it anymore.”

Corruption has compounded technical difficulties, with funds earmarked for refurbishment reportedly embezzled. A 2018 incident in which a floating dry dock sank onto the ship’s deck further damaged the vessel.

The Kuznetsov’s troubled history reflects broader Russian naval struggles. Designated a hybrid “aircraft-carrying cruiser” to bypass Montreux Convention restrictions, the ship was never capable of projecting power comparable to U.S. carriers. Its operational crew has largely been reassigned to infantry roles in Ukraine, highlighting Moscow’s manpower pressures.

Analysts note the carrier’s retirement underscores a stark decline in Russia’s maritime capabilities. The U.S. Navy operates 11 supercarriers capable of launching over 70 aircraft, while Russia would be left with none. Naval commentators argue that the Kuznetsov has been emblematic of a navy in decay—once a global contender, now a shadow of its former Soviet-era strength.

Despite claims from Russian officers that modern naval warfare no longer requires carriers, experts warn that operating a blue-water fleet without air support risks strategic vulnerability. 

For decades, the Kuznetsov was a floating testament to ambition undermined by flawed design, maintenance failures, and geopolitical constraints. Its impending decommissioning may finally close the chapter on Russia’s carrier experiment.

By Aghakazim Guliyev