Russia's sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, could face decommissioning following extended repair delays. VTB CEO Andrey Kostin revealed this in an interview with Kommersant journalist Andrei Kolesnikov, stating the vessel isn't worth repairing due to its age and prohibitive costs. The 40-year-old warship will likely be either sold or scrapped in the near future.
As the flagship of both the Russian Navy and Northern Fleet, the Admiral Kuznetsov was originally constructed at the Black Sea Shipyard, with construction beginning in 1982 and final commissioning occurring in 1991.
A 2018 agreement between Russia's Defense Ministry and the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) assigned modernization work to the Murmansk shipyard, with initial completion targeted for 2020. However, these plans never materialized. Recent reports from Izvestia in July 2025 suggest the Defense Ministry might abandon restoration efforts altogether.