NATO's Joint Air Command reported that yesterday, Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35 jets were scrambled to intercept two Tu-95MS strategic bombers accompanied by two Su-33 carrier-based fighters.
Given the flight path, there is reason to believe that the Tu-95MS bombers, escorted by Su-33 fighters, took off from the Olenya airbase, which is currently one of the primary hubs for russia’s strategic aviation.
Read more: Comparison of Admiral Kuznetsov and China's Liaoning Aircraft Carriers Leaves russians Disappointed
It is worth noting that russia has only about 17 Su-33 fighters. All of them were previously part of the Admiral Kuznetsov’s air group. However, by the end of 2023, they were reassigned to land-based operations to form a separate mixed aviation corps for the Northern Fleet—a move that indirectly hinted at the true condition of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier.
The Admiral Kuznetsov holds great significance for russian propaganda, as it is russia’s only aircraft carrier. Because of this, the Kremlin has invested enormous sums in its restoration and efforts to return it to service as quickly as possible. By the time it becomes operational again, trained pilots must be ready to conduct combat missions from its deck.
Since the Kuznetsov has been under repair for over seven years, some of the carrier-qualified pilots have already retired. Those who remain and are currently performing much simpler land-based flights will need to retrain to regain their carrier takeoff and landing skills—a process that takes about a year. Defense Express has previously reported on this issue.
Considering that russia originally planned to bring the Admiral Kuznetsov out of repair last year, its pilots and aircraft should already be undergoing carrier landing training. In fact, russian media previously reported that pilot preparation for these aircraft had begun.
Since the only such training facility is located in temporarily occupied Crimea, near the city of Saky, these aircraft should be stationed there. However, there is a problem—it turns out they are not undergoing training at all. Instead, they remain in the north, escorting Tu-95MS bombers from the Olenya airbase in russia’s Murmansk region.
This suggests that the russian authorities will continue to funnel money into the Admiral Kuznetsov’s repairs, and it will not return to service within the next year. Given the slow pace of repairs and the constant emergence of new technical issues, as we have previously reported, it is highly unlikely that the Kuznetsov will ever return to operational status.
Read more: russia Discusses the Maritime Aircraft Carrier System and Fifth-Generation Fighters Amid Ongoing Repairs of the Admiral Kuznetsov
