According to a report by Russia’s “Moskoy Messenger” website on July 26, the newspaper learned that the Russian Navy’s “Admiral Kuznetsov” carrier will be decommissioned and may be sold or dismantled in the future. Experts have 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 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 25: “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: “Firstly, modern electronic equipment, along with other systems and devices, will 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. The ship was staffed up to 2,200 people during its peak period. After decommissioning, the number of monitors might not exceed 150 to 200. Their primary task is to monitor for water ingress and prevent fires.”
Military expert Dmitry Borenkov noted that the final fate of the ship will be determined by the Russian Navy, as the fleet is the owner of the carrier. He said: “Selling the ship will be a rather complex process. There are not many countries that can afford it.”
Russia once modernized and sold the “Gorshkov Admiral” carrier to India.
Borenkov stated, “Disassembling the ‘Kuznetsov Admiral’ directly is not wise. Russia has been maintaining it for a long time, and it was once a pride of the navy. Now it’s being dismantled into scrap metal? Therefore, storage might be a better option. But ultimately, it should be decided by the Russian Navy Command based on its mission.”
Former Deputy Commander of the Pacific Fleet, Rear Admiral Igor Korolev, expressed his full agreement with the decision to store the carrier. He said, “The funds planned for the ‘Kuznetsov Admiral’ can be more effectively utilized in the future.” Many factors have determined the fate of the ship. For example, the shipyard responsible for maintenance lacks sufficient qualified personnel; the maintenance or manufacturing cycle for the equipment required on the ship is very long—up to 24 months or even longer. Thus, the maintenance process will 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 create 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 carrier is straightforward. If it cannot be repaired and delivered to the navy, then the sensible course of action is to store it until conditions improve or a suitable buyer emerges.”
The expert noted that after the “Kuznetsov Admiral” retired, there should be no rush to build a new carrier. He mentioned that the carrier lacks modern aircraft carriers, and building a new carrier capable of carrying only a few outdated fighters obviously makes no sense.
“Kuznetsov Naval Admiral” was delivered to the Soviet Navy on December 25, 1990. It has undertaken numerous long-distance missions. From November 2016 to January 2017, the ship 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 1200 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 its 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 more than 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.