In a surprising development, Russia has seemingly formed a mechanised battalion from the crew of its only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov.
This new unit is reportedly involved in ground operations in Ukraine, according to open-source intelligence researcher Moklasen on X (formerly Twitter).
Initially stationed in the Kharkiv region, the battalion has since been redeployed to the Pokrovsk sector, according to the Ukrainian military. The formation of the battalion came to light after a message was shared on Russian social media platform Vkontakte, requesting help in locating personnel from military unit 78987.
This unit recently gained attention following the disappearance of Oleg Sosedov, a sailor from the Admiral Kuznetsov, who went missing during a Russian operation in the Kharkiv region in July. Sosedov, also linked to the battalion, was last seen during an assault on the frontier village of Sotnytskii Kozachok.
Additionally, reports indicate that Russia is also forming infantry units from members of its Aerospace Forces, with these new units playing a role in battles around Kursk.
The Admiral Kuznetsov has faced numerous setbacks since being withdrawn from service for repairs in 2017. Originally planned for modernisation to extend its service life by 25 years, the ship’s overhaul has been continuously delayed by accidents and technical challenges.
One incident occurred in October 2018 when the PD-50 drydock, housing the carrier, sank, damaging the vessel and killing a worker. A crane collapse caused significant damage to the flight deck, further delaying the repair process. The carrier was later moved to the 35th Ship Repair Plant in Murmansk. The difficulties continued. In December 2019, a major fire broke out onboard, killing two workers and injuring more than a dozen others, adding to the delays. Initially expected to return to service by 2023, the completion of repairs has been repeatedly postponed, with current estimates suggesting the ship may not be handed over to the Russian Navy until 2024 or 2025.
Despite these ongoing setbacks, Russian officials remained optimistic about the eventual return of the Admiral Kuznetsov to active duty. Repair work has continued since the ship was dry-docked in May 2022, with upgrades focusing on avionics and power systems.
However, another fire in December 2022 has raised additional concerns about whether the ship will meet its revised schedule for completion. However, with the recent news that the crew has been redeployed to form a mechanised battalion in Ukraine, the handover of the Admiral Kuznetsov now seems unlikely to proceed without a crew.
The ship itself
The Admiral Kuznetsov is a heavy aircraft-carrying missile cruiser, designed to project air power and support naval operations. One of its key features is its flight deck, which accommodates both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. It typically carries 18 Su-33 fighter jets, capable of performing air superiority, fleet defence, reconnaissance, and close air support missions. These are complemented by six MiG-29K multirole jets, which add versatility in both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat. The ship also operates Kamov helicopters, primarily the Ka-27 and Ka-31, which are used for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), search and rescue (SAR), and early warning operations.
The carrier’s ski-jump ramp at the bow allows aircraft to take off without needing catapults, a simpler system than the steam catapults used on many Western carriers. While this design limits take-off speed, it provides a smoother, less stressful launch for pilots. Aircraft accelerate towards and lift off the deck at lower speeds, with their afterburners engaged. The Su-33s are specially designed to perform well with this lower-speed, ski-jump configuration, allowing them to operate effectively within the carrier’s capabilities.
In addition to its air power, Admiral Kuznetsov is heavily armed with surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles, providing both offensive and defensive capabilities. It carries 12 P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles, designed to strike large surface targets at long range. This gives the carrier an additional cruiser-like capability, allowing it to engage in missile warfare independently of its air group. For defence, the carrier is equipped with the 3K95 Kinzhal surface-to-air missile system and Kashtan close-in weapon systems (CIWS), creating a layered air defence against incoming threats like aircraft and missiles.
The Admiral Kuznetsov also has strong anti-submarine capabilities. It is fitted with RBU-12000 anti-submarine rocket launchers, which bolster its defence against underwater threats. Its Kamov helicopters, particularly the Ka-27s, are crucial in detecting and engaging submarines, as they are equipped with sonar and other ASW tools. This enables the carrier to conduct multi-dimensional warfare, countering threats from the air, surface, and underwater simultaneously.
However, unlike most Western carriers, which use gas turbines or nuclear power, Admiral Kuznetsov uses conventional propulsion. Its steam turbines, powered by mazut fuel, produce 200,000 horsepower, giving the ship a maximum speed of 29 knots. While this speed is lower than nuclear-powered carriers, it is sufficient for its operational requirements. The use of mazut, a heavy oil, is notable for generating thick black smoke, a characteristic often seen when the fuel isn’t properly preheated before entering the combustion chamber, giving the ship a visible signature over long distances.
Now if they could just redeploy their submarine crews in a similar manner that’d be great. Waste important cadres of specially trained service personnel on casualty-heavy meat assaults.
It’s this kind of thing that shows that the war in Ukraine will affect Russian capability years after it has concluded.
Hard to see Russia surviving years after this, the last kicks of a dying regime and an evil empire
then it should be the mullahs turn Saddam did less than the evil fanatics in Tehran, and got his neck stretched.the Libyans apart fell from within now it’s Iran that should pay for the death and destruction everywhere. you don’t stop evil like that through diplomacy and sanctions. it’s time to give them a huge shock and awe of their own.
Bit harsh?
Sure I saw that mentioned somewhere earlier in the week. Probably the crew of the one that had an argument with a storm shadow and lost.
they can’t shift soldiers around, they’ve been reduced to chaos.
For two and a half years now, the Russian campaign has suffered from extremly poor command and control, intelligence failures, bad tactics, equipment failings, etc, etc.. Yet, somehow the front keeps moving west. To some extent, we are trapped by our own myopic intelligence assessments.
When you have more bodies to throw at the problem, you will get results, but at some point you run out of bodies. In reality the Ukriane Russia war is simply a case of who runs out of one of the following first..
1) will to fight
2) people to throw in the fight
3) munitions and supples
4) money
The big problem for Ukraine is that it’s got less people and it’s dependent on the west for munitions and money and the west quite frankly has shown itself to have crap all will to fight or even suffer inconvenience in the long term.
When you consider that weapons support to Ukraine is mainly recycling old munitions and buying their replacement, which is a planned sustainment activity, there is little treasure and no blood at stake for the Supporters. Counting Support for Ukraine in NATO spending makes it even easier.
Clearly the fastest way to solve the energy supply stress is to defeat the orcs so plenty of national interest there.
The woeful lack of clarity and strategic objective (RF Defeat) from Washington, especially the White House, has been the driver for slow walking and under delivery that causes avoidable death and suffering.
Believing the Peace Dividend or Escalation delusions has caused this and shows the excellent value of FSB misinformation in subverting the national interest of the free world.
Its all going to plan…
Sadly there are also certain political party who are also trying to capitalise on the cost as well which isn’t helping
The front moves west…. unspeakably slowly.
Ukraines kursk offensive gained more square km in two days than the Russians have in 8 months.
we should hop that they go further and further the Russian shame and embarrassement.
ass.
for intelligence read stupidity
It’s moving slowly and grindingly westward yes agree my little PutinBot but at great cost to Russia in manpower and materiale
1000+ casualties a day. That’s only just sustainable but at terrible human suffering. Still if Russia is happy to accept +1000 casualties a day fighting in mad Vlad the psycho Nazi dictators war of conquest hey ho. No loss to us. The war will continue.
Sounds very much like The Times UK government propaganda spiel.
Not the truth, then?
It seems to originate in OSINT reports gleaned from location info on the Russian social media site, Vkontakte.
I’m delighted that the Russian Navy continue to pour resources into this scrap heap. It is great – it reverts them from submarines which would be dangerous!
Please keep spending money on this vanity project. Brilliant idea sending the crew to the front….for NATO…another ‘threat’ the Russian have removed from the chess board all by themselves.
Joking apart this shows how short of men they are.
The dictatorship means that loyalty to the dictator is more advantageous than competence and corruption is led from the top without a squeak of opposition. A great example of how to squander resources and opportunities to serve the national interest.
As if that wasn’t already clear, a demonstration of why Project 2925, the plan for fascist dictatorship in USA, would be a huge failure and end the 250 year experiment in Democracy to the disadvantage of almost all Americans and the free world too.
Patriots put Country over party 🇺🇲
Democracy not dictatorship 💙
I wonder, given Sir Keir’s penchant for throwing people out of the Labour Party who disagree with him, whether loyalty isn’t more advantageous than competence in this country too. I’m pretty sure it was under Sunak.
unfortunately politicians are prone to putting their pockets before patriotism
and desperate
and desplosing kutznetzov erate would be good news to everyone everywhere
The admiral Rustnetsov its not a carrier but a future artificial reef, the only escorts are tugs.
The Royal Naval Division it is not.
What ever our views on the war, it is sad to see the continued loss of life, as the dictator of Russia continues to throw away Russian lives just to maintain control of the Kremlin.
It will take years for Russia to recover from the rule of Putin, and let’s hope that the Oligarchs get rid of him sooner rather than later
.make sure that the Russian people are made fully aware of the costs of Putin adventures.
So all Ukraine has to do is watch for black exhaust smoke and a Tug Boat on the battlefield !😉
I wouldn’t be surprised if they start sending OAPs and tanks from ww2 and NATO just trying there ammo which works well on Russian vehicles I do blame bald headed Putin for this but I bet he woundering who he going to send next
Seems like the Russians are taking a page from the final years of the Third Reich, when the Wehrmacht fielded infantry formations made up of “surplus” Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine members.
Perhaps they have finally realised that that ship is unlikely to ever leave port again.
Given that, by my understanding, Russian navy doctrine prioritises defending their Bastions north of Russia while attacking enemies with missiles, submarines, and undersea infrastructure attacks, this is hardly a great loss for them in reality.
It is a greater symbolic loss with the prestige and status an Aircraft Carrier carries.
They can’t be planning on reactivating this heap of junk if they’ve sent the crew to the front lines in Ukraine.
Also demonstrates the perilous state of the Russian army that crews of navy ships are being redeployed.
Probably shows they have literally ran out of any trained army manpower. Current training consists of walking into a shooting match in Ukraine.
Soon they will have ran out of criminals to force to fight and mercenaries probably wont sign up as little chance of surviving. They will have a ton of space in jails though, shame they are on the wrong side as we could have rented some rooms and sent our criminals over instead of releasing them to recommit crimes here.
They ran out of trained manpower some time ago.
The meat attacks [doesn’t the term make you sick??] burn through numbers.
Attritional warfare, as the Russians are doing, is a low skill game. However, it still requires food, fuel and ammunition to keep large numbers vaguely deployable. Which is why the Ukrainians are begging for capability to hit the munitions and supply infrastructure hard. If they can choke supplies then the Russian army, such as it is, will collapse.
They only need it to collapse in a couple of places so they can get behind the lines and open out.
I’m surprised at the unfocused way into h the F16’s are being used. It doesn’t look very strategic to me and precious resources should be used like a surgeons knife?
Happily two major arms depots have been destroyed in the last two days. The first so large that it measured 2.3 on the richter scale and the second in Krasnodar oblast near to a military base so that both were destroyed according to the satellite images.
Hard to tell how this will effect supply but like the refinery strikes no ammo, no win..
who on earth would have believed that the huge mighty russian armed forces could have been a so utterly incompetent, mess at the hands of the Ukrainians the navy is scared to leave porr, the air force still not established air superiority. as for the army it’s been a total disaster I’m as equally gob smacked that Putin in still there.
Neither Su-33s nor MiG-29Ks are “specially designed to perform well with this lower-speed, ski-jump configuration”. They are severely limited by the ski jump; effectively their low MTOW limits them to air defence tasks.
Who would care to bet that in 100 years, we will find out that She was sabotaged by Brit/US specops? She has had so many… ‘accidents’ … it can’t be happenstance.
To the crew, may you sow the fields with your blood, and die in pain.
Shades of the last days of the Third Reich, when air crew and sailors were thrown into battle as infantry.
We would do Ukraine, ourselves, and even the Russian people themselves a massive favour by just supplying a steady stream of modern weapons and components to Ukraine with no restrictions on use.
Wow. You make it sound like the Kuznetsov is a real warship still in service, instead of a perpetual drydock queen.
no matter what the state of the Russian navy, you would have thought that the crew of there only aircraft carrier would have had specialist training, it seems very short sighted to be using them as infantry
In reality I don’t think that carrier is going to sail again. Last reports I saw suggested that the lower areas of the hull were rusted out and flooded with dirty water. The Russians are presumably redeploying the crew to a ‘meat grinder’ operation because the de facto loss of the ship makes them disposable in the eyes of Putin.