Russia's troubled carrier: Ongoing repair woes for Kuznetsov
The "Admiral Kuznetsov," the only aircraft carrier in the Russian fleet and inherited by the Kremlin after the USSR's dissolution, continues to face setbacks. The "ship of shame" has failed to undergo successful repairs for the third consecutive year.
Following a mission off the coast of Syria, the "Admiral Kuznetsov" entered a repair phase in 2018. Despite plans, the ship has not returned to service, leaving its future uncertain.
Putin's battered pride
The ship, built in 1985, was originally designed to carry and service 28 aircraft and 24 helicopters. It was slated to be equipped with the latest "Pantsir-M" anti-aircraft defense systems and prepared for the use of cruise missiles and self-guided aerial bombs.
Promised work at the 35th Ship Repair Yard in Murmansk was initially scheduled for completion by 2022, but deadlines were pushed to 2023 and then to 2024. However, as of last year, authorities have yet to announce when the aircraft carrier will return to service.
After its deployment to Syria, where it became a subject of ridicule due to black smoke plumes, British Defense Minister Michael Fallon labeled the aircraft carrier "the ship of shame."
The worst aircraft carrier in the world
The American magazine National Interest ranked the "Kuznetsov" as the worst aircraft carrier in the world, citing poor construction quality, weak technical support, and the absence of new, more modern aircraft carriers.
The first repair attempt after the Syrian mission ended disastrously. At the shipyard near Murmansk, the "Admiral Kuznetsov" could not exit the floating dock properly. Due to a power supply failure, the correct pace for filling the dock's ballast tanks wasn't achieved, flooding the interior too quickly with water.
This failure resulted in injuries to four people, damage to the deck and hull of the Admiral Kuznetsov, and the sinking of the PD-50 dock.
A year later, during further repairs, a fire broke out, leading to the deaths of two workers and additional damage to the ship. In 2018, authorities estimated the repair costs of the aircraft carrier at 20 billion rubles (201 million dollars).