Realistically, I don't think that the Admiral Kuznetsov is going to sail again. Like, that was basically at what is probably more-or-less the end of its life. I doubt that Russia's going to have the funds or that it's going to be high enough on the priority list to get working before it's just completely uneconomical and obsolete. Even if Russia weren't burning tons of resources fighting Ukraine, I don't know if it'd be coming back.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_aircraft_carrier_Admiral_Kuznetsov

On 30 October 2018, the ship was damaged when Russia's biggest floating drydock, PD-50, sank, causing one of its 70-ton cranes to crash onto the ship's flight deck, leaving behind a 19-square-metre (200 sq ft) hole. One person was reported missing and four were injured as the drydock sank in Kola Bay. The ship was in the process of being removed from the dock when the incident occurred and was towed to a nearby yard after the incident.[12] The cost of repairing the damage was estimated to be RUB 70 million (about US$1 million).[83] The fallen crane was removed by the end of 2018.[84]

In late May 2019, repair work of the aircraft carrier was underway.[85] That same month, it was also announced that two graving docks in Murmansk would be merged and enlarged to accommodate the ship, the work taking a year and a half.[86] In December 2019, a major fire broke out on board the ship as work continued on the ship's refit.[13] Two people died and more than a dozen were injured in the fire, and damage to the ship was estimated at US$8 million.[87]

In June 2021, Vladimir Korolev, Vice President of the United Shipbuilding Corporation announced that the overhaul and upgrade of Admiral Kuznetsov was expected to be completed by the first half of 2023.[88] The avionics, flight deck with the ski jump, electric equipment, and the power plant were expected to be replaced as part of this process. The carrier would also receive a new fully domestic takeoff and landing control system, with the onboard airpower remaining the same. Due to the lack of a large enough drydock, a new drydock was being constructed in Murmansk.[89] In November 2021 it was reported that "bad weather" had caused significant delays to repair work which might push back the completion of the refit by more than one year.[90]

The ship was finally dry-docked on 20 May 2022.[91] By 27 July 2022, the drydock had been drained, allowing repairs on the aircraft carrier to commence.[92] On 15 August 2022, the head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation confirmed that Admiral Kuznetsov would be handed over to the Russian Navy in the first quarter of 2024, and that the ship is expected to remain in service for at least another 25 years.[93] On 22 December 2022, as the ship was being prepared to leave drydock, another fire occurred. The fire was extinguished, and no casualties were reported.[87] On 25 January 2023, it was reported that Admiral Kuznetsov would leave the drydock in February 2023.[94] The aircraft carrier was removed from the drydock on 21 February 2023, although it was initially reported that the operation had been suspended due to heavy fog.[95]

Prior to the December 2022 fire the overhaul of the carrier was projected to last into 2024.[14][87][96]

In September 2024, an OSINT analysis revealed that Admiral Kuznetsov's crew of approximately 1,500 sailors were reassigned to the Russian Army for combat duty in Ukraine. This fueled speculation that there is no plan to make Admiral Kuznetsov seaworthy again.[17][97] As of July 2025, it was reported that repair and modernization work on the carrier had been suspended and that Russian Defence Ministry is considering scrapping the vessel due to the ship's age and condition and the mounting cost of its overhaul.[98] The same month, UK Defence Journal reported public comments by Admiral Sergei Avakyants, former head of Russia's Pacific Fleet, suggesting institutional support for the decision to retire the carrier. He described classic aircraft carriers as expensive and inefficient in modern conflict scenarios, arguing that unmanned systems and robotic platforms are the future.[99] Russian media outlet www1.ru reported in January 2026 that Admiral Kuznetsov may be repaired once the PD-50 floating dock is repaired.[100][101]

In February 2026, Ecuadorian news sources reported that the Admiral Kuznetsov would be decommissioned due to the high cost of repairs.[102]

If the Russian Navy's funding situation improves in the near future, which I would not bet on, I think that there are probably other things that are more cost-effective that they're going to want to use their budget for.

I mean, just look at this post alone. Ukraine's busy clobbering Russian merchant shipping, and what's left of the Black Sea Fleet isn't able to stop it. It's a pretty safe bet that any other countries that Russia might hypothetically get into a scrap with have been also taking notes. Russia's going to need air defense and USV defense more than the ability to fly some very elderly naval aviation aircraft, not to mention the many, many other things that are going to be competing for Russian budget other than naval spending after this war.