Reference News Network reported on July 27th
According to a report by Russia’s “Newspaper” website on July 26th, the newspaper learned that the Russian Navy’s “Admiral Kuznetsov” carrier will be decommissioned and may be sold or dismantled in the future. Experts stated that during the decommissioning process, all available important equipment and machinery on board will be removed for use on other ships, while the ship’s body will be prepared for long-term storage.
Insiders revealed to the newspaper that the Russian Navy’s General Command has decided to decommission the “Admiral Kuznetsov” carrier recently. Previously, the newspaper had reported that all maintenance and modernization work on the carrier had been suspended.
Andrei Kostin, Chairman of the Russian Federation Shipbuilding Corporation, stated on July 25th: “We believe that there is no value in repairing this ship. Its age exceeds 40 years, and the cost of maintenance is extremely high… I think the final decision will be either sale or dismantlement.”
Former Commander of the Pacific Fleet, General Sergey Avakyan, pointed out to the newspaper that decommissioning such a large ship means that all available machinery will be removed as spare parts for other ships. He explained: “First, modern electronic equipment, and other systems and devices will also be dismantled. During the decommissioning process, the ship’s body will be completely sealed, meaning all water collection devices will be drained and welded shut. Then, it will be decided whether to dismantle it or sell it to another country.”
After decommissioning, the carrier will retain a small number of personnel. Avakyan added: “These personnel will be responsible for monitoring the status of the carrier. At its peak, the crew numbered up to 2,200. After decommissioning, the number of monitors might not exceed 150 to 200. Their primary task is to monitor for flooding and prevent fires.”
Military expert Dmitry Borenkov noted that the final fate of the ship will be determined by the Russian Navy, as the navy owns the carrier. He said: “Selling the ship will be a rather complex process.”

Not many countries can afford it. Russia once modernized the ‘Gorshkov Admiral’s flagship and sold it to India.”
Borenkov said, “Disassembling the ‘Kuznetsov Admiral’ directly is not a wise move. Russia has been maintaining it for a long time, which was once a pride of the navy, now it’s about to be dismantled into scrap metal? Therefore, storage might be a better choice. But ultimately, it should be decided by the Russian Navy Command based on its missions.”
The former deputy commander of the Pacific Fleet, Rear Admiral Igor Korolev, expressed his full agreement with the decision to store the aircraft carrier. He said, “The funds planned for the ‘Kuznetsov Admiral’ could be more effectively utilized in the future.” Many factors have determined the fate of the ship. For example, the shipyard responsible for maintenance lacked sufficient qualified personnel; the maintenance or manufacturing cycle for the equipment required on the ship was very long—up to 24 months or even longer. Thus, the maintenance process would also take a long time.
Korolev estimated that, at current prices, the maintenance costs would reach between 100 to 120 billion rubles (approximately 12.6 to 15 billion USD). He said, “With this money, we could carry out partial but quite deep automation modifications to the naval equipment. We need to equip destroyers and frigates with modern unmanned systems to build a new navy.”
Military expert Dmitry Korenev believes that storing the ship is far better than dismantling it for scrap. He pointed out, “The situation of this aircraft carrier is straightforward. If it cannot be repaired and delivered to the navy, then the sensible thing to do is to store it until conditions improve or a suitable buyer comes along.”
The expert noted that after the ‘Kuznetsov Admiral’ retired, there should be no rush to construct a new aircraft carrier. He said, “The aircraft carrier lacks modern warship-carrying aircraft, and building a new carrier capable of carrying only a few old fighter planes seems pointless.”

“Kuznetsov Naval Marshal” was delivered to the Soviet Navy on December 25, 1990. The vessel has undertaken numerous long-distance missions. From November 2016 to January 2017, it participated in combat operations in the Mediterranean Sea, where its aircraft carrier strikes against terrorist targets within Syria. During that operation, over 400 sorties were flown and more than 1,200 targets were destroyed.
After returning from the Mediterranean, the ship was sent to a shipyard for maintenance and modernization. The original plan was to complete the repairs and recommission the ship by 2022, but several delays occurred. In October 2018, the floating dock sunk, and the crane hit the ship, causing damage to the hull. In December 2019, a fire broke out on board: sparks from welding work ignited residual fuel inside the compartment. The accident resulted in two deaths and injuries to over ten people. In 2022, another fire occurred on the ship, fortunately without casualties. By 2023, the submerged portion of the ship’s hull was repaired.

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