Key Points and Summary – After a disastrous career plagued by accidents and endless, costly overhauls, Russia is finally giving up on its only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov.
-A top shipbuilding official has confirmed “there is no point repairing it anymore,” and the 40-year-old warship will likely be scrapped.
-The decision is a major blow to Russia’s naval prestige.
-While some Russian officials debate a replacement, a former top admiral has argued that traditional carriers are a “thing of the past,” suggesting the future lies with drone carriers and amphibious assault ships.
Why Russia Doesn’t Need An Aircraft Carrier – And What Will Replace the Admiral Kuznetsov
Russia’s only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, is nearing the end of its troubled career after decades of service, failed overhauls, and mounting costs.
Surely, there are a lot of people in Russia’s Navy who for years have tried to repair and save this aircraft carrier that just had their hearts broken.
However, the writing has been on the wall for many years. Andrei Kostin, chairman of Russia’s state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), told the newspaper Kommersant that “there is no point repairing it anymore,” confirming reports that the vessel’s refit and maintenance work had been suspended.
Kostin said that the 40-year-old warship, which has been out of service since 2017, will likely be sold or scrapped, though a final decision has yet to be made.
Admiral Kuznetsov: A History
Launched in 1985 as the Soviet Union’s last heavy aircraft carrier, the 1,000-foot-long Admiral Kuznetsov served with Russia’s Northern Fleet after the collapse of the Soviet state. The carrier saw its most significant action during Moscow’s military campaign in Syria, where it assisted with strikes in support of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
But the flagship has since played no role in Russia’s war in Ukraine and has instead languished in dry dock near Murmansk.
Years of accidents, delays, and rising costs have undermined efforts to modernize the vessel, prompting Russian officials to consider new options.
Nonetheless, losing the ship is a significant blow to Russia’s naval prestige, especially as Ukrainian drones have already proven to be capable of eroding Russia’s Black Sea Fleet presence in Crimea.
What Will Replace It?
Whether Russia truly needs an aircraft carrier is a topic of debate within the country.
While some analysts argue that a successor to the Admiral Kuznetsov would add prestige to the Russian Navy, others suggest that the money and yard time would be better spent elsewhere.
Adm. Sergei Avakyants, a former Pacific Fleet commander, said that the Russian Navy doesn’t need aircraft carriers – not just now, but in the long term. Speaking to Izvestia, Avakyants claimed that aircraft carriers are a “thing of the past” because they can be “destroyed in a few minutes by modern weapons.” The former Russian military official added that a new carrier would be an “expensive” and “ineffective” naval weapon.
“The future belongs to carriers of robotic systems and unmanned aircraft. And if a decision is made not to continue the repairs, the only thing left to do is to take the Admiral Kuznetsov, cut it up for scrap metal, and dispose of it,” he continued.
Sukhoi Su-33 launching from the Admiral Kuznetsov.
Sukhoi Su-33 launching from the Admiral Kuznetsov.
The Age of the Aircraft Carrier Over?
Avakyants’ comments carry weight. While Russia has presented designs of possible new carriers like the nuclear-powered 23000E Shtorm and the Lamantin, there is no approved program to replace its only carrier and no build yard currently capable of starting one.
Russia has experience losing valuable ships to Ukrainian drones, too. In February 2024, a swarm of Ukrainian sea drones sank the Caesar Kunikov, a Russian amphibious ship, off the coast of Russian-occupied Crimea. Two years earlier, in April 2022, a Ukrainian missile sank the Moskva – the flagship of the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet.
While there are currently no plans to build a new fixed-wing aircraft carrier, Russia is moving ahead with its Project 23900 Ivan Rogov-class amphibious assault ships. The vessels will partially fill this gap, and were originally intended to replace French Mistral class landing helicopter docks – two of which were ordered by Russia in 2011 but never delivered.
Unlike classic jet carriers, the vessels are designed to transport marines, vehicles, and landing craft, and to operate helicopters and drones. Each ship features an internal well deck to launch and recover landing craft, along with space for armored vehicles and hundreds of troops. The program has already experienced delays, however, and trials are not expected to begin until 2027, with delivery of the first ships now projected between 2028 and 2029.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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