What You Need to Know: Russia’s only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, hasn’t sailed since 2017 and has become a symbol of the nation’s aging and unreliable military hardware. Amid numerous accidents and delays in its retrofit, the Kuznetsov remains out of service and may never sail again.

-Given Russia’s military struggles since the invasion of Ukraine, including the sinking of key ships like the Moskva, the Russian Navy could potentially scrap the Kuznetsov despite the public relations hit.

-Given the vessel’s outdated design and chronic issues, scrapping the ship might be a more practical and economical choice for the Kremlin.

Could Russia Scrap the Admiral Kuznetsov and Move On?

Could the Russians scrap their lone aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, and take the public relations hit?

Possibly. The Admiral Kuznetsov hasn’t sailed in years and the Russians have taken so much bad press since the beginning of the Russo-Ukraine War that another few headlines, pertaining to a beleaguered aircraft carrier, would just be like a few more drops of water in a bucket about to overflow.

The Russian Military Machine

The Admiral Kuznetsov is just one Russian military system that’s been having a hard time. Since February 2022, when Putin ordered the illegal invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s military systems have been under scrutiny. The consensus appears that Russia’s military apparatus is somewhat modest – aged and poorly functioning on a whole. The Russians are overly reliant on Cold War era tech, which the Ukrainians have proven surprisingly adept at picking off with low-tech equipment (and dogged persistence).

Ukraine has even proven capable of sinking Russian warships. Just last month, Ukraine said that it used naval drones to sink a Russian landing ship, the Caesar Kunikov, in the Black Sea. The Associated Press described the sinking, if true, as “another embarrassing blow for the Russian Black Sea fleet.” The other embarrassing blow that the AP is referencing is the sinking of the Moskva in 2022. The Moskva had been a guided-missile cruiser, the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea fleet. The Moskva’s sinking, barely two months into the conflict, was a shock to outside observers, offering a shot of hope to Ukrainian forces.

But while the Caesar Kunikov and the Moskva have been sunk in action, one Russian vessel has been notably absent from any form of action – the Admiral Kuznetsov.

Lingering Problems

The Admiral Kuznetsov is Russia’s only aircraft carrier. And if the Kuznetsov were active, it would be the Russo-Ukraine War’s only aircraft carrier – offering an advantage to the Russian’s who have struggled to establish air superiority over the underequipped Ukrainians. Yet, the Kuznetsov has not sailed. Not in years. Because the vessel is “a hazard to herself, her crew and anyone nearby.”  

By the standards of modern aircraft carriers, the Kuznetsov was never superlative. First sailing in 1995, the Kuznetsov was out of date relative to American supercarriers the moment she was launched. Running on a petro-chemical (Mazut) rather than nuclear power, featuring a ski jump deck rather than a catapult system, and carrying just 30 or so aircraft rather than one hundred.

More critically, however, the Kuznetsov was temperamental, with a “problematic history,” as Robert Beckhusen wrote. “One seamen died when the carrier caught fire during a 2009 deployment to the Med. During the same cruise, the flattop spilled hundreds of tons of fuel into the sea while refueling. Her steam turbines are so bad the ship has to be escorted by tugs in case she breaks down.”

The Kuznetsov has not sailed since 2017. Initially, the Kuznetsov was withdrawn from service to undergo retrofits – which were supposed to extend the boat’s service life another quarter-century. But the retrofit has not gone smoothly; beset with accidents (including the crashing of a massive crane through the Kuznetsov’s deck), the vessel does not appear likely to sail in the near future.

So, could the Russian’s just fold their hand, and scrap their only aircraft carrier? Sure. The optics would be bad, but at this point, seven years since the boat last sailed, scrapping may be the most economical and practical choice.

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a seasoned defense writer with over 1,000 articles posted. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

All images are Creative Commons.