Paul Goble
Staunton, June 14 – Today, Russian shipyards announced that Russia’s only aircraft carrier, the ill-fated Admiral Kuznetsov will return to service not at the end of 2023 as government media have suggested but rather in early 2024 because it has now turned out that not one but all four of its turbine engines must be repaired or replaced (russian7.ru/post/admiral-kuznecov-vernyotsya-v-stroy-s/).
Given the problems the carrier has had in the past, including the collapse of a crane on its deck, the sinking of a drydock in which it was to be fixed, and its massive contamination of the environment, problems that have led many to suggest it should not be fixed but scrapped or turned into a casino, the new date is anything but firm.
On the Kuzetsov’s past problems, see windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-kuznetsov-almost-died-in-2018-when.html, windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2021/01/kremlin-claims-to-contrary-russias-only.html and windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2021/07/fsb-raids-shipyards-where-russias-only.html.
On debates about whether the ship should be repaired or scrapped or indeed whether Russia should build an aircraft carrier at all, see windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2022/01/debate-about-possible-construction-of.html, windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2021/05/new-russian-carriers-if-ever-built.html and windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2020/01/russia-may-get-new-aircraft-carrier-but.html.
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