Editing Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier (section)

===''Admiral Kuznetsov''===
{{main|Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov}}

[[File:Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier.jpg|thumb|''Admiral Kuznetsov'' underway in 2012. The shadow of a Ka-27 is visible on the bow.]]

''Admiral Flota Sovetskogo Soyuza Kuznetsov'' was designed by the Neva Design Bureau, St. Petersburg, and built at the [[Black Sea Shipyard|Nikolayev South Shipyard]] (Chernomorskoye Shipyard) in the [[Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic|Ukrainian SSR]]. She was launched in 1985, commissioned in 1990, and became fully operational in 1995. The vessel was named ''Riga'', ''Leonid Brezhnev'', and ''Tbilisi'',<ref name="ReferenceA"/> before finally being named after Soviet admiral [[Nikolay Kuznetsov (officer)|Nikolay Kuznetsov]].

During the winter of 1995–1996, ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' deployed to the Mediterranean Sea to mark the 300th anniversary of the Russian Navy. In late 2000, ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' went to sea for recovery and salvage operations for the submarine {{ship|Russian submarine K-141|Kursk||2}}. In late 2007 and early 2008, ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' again deployed to the Mediterranean. Most recently, ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' was deployed to the Mediterranean in late 2016 and early 2017 to support [[Russian involvement in the Syrian Civil War|Russian operations in Syria]].

''Admiral Kuznetsov'' started an overhaul and modernization program in the first quarter of 2017 to extend its service life by 25 years,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Soper|first=Karl|title=''Admiral Kuznetsov'' overhaul designed to maintain carrier capability while Russia considers future carrier options|journal=Jane's Navy International|volume=121|issue=6|date=1 August 2016}}</ref> but several setbacks have hampered this effort. Prior to a December 2022 fire the overhaul of the carrier was projected to last into 2024.<ref name=Cole2022>{{cite news|last=Cole|first=Brendan|title=Russia's Only Aircraft Carrier Catches Fire|newspaper=[[Newsweek]]|date=22 December 2022|url=https://www.newsweek.com/russia-kuznetsov-murkansk-fire-aircraft-carrier-1768956|access-date=11 January 2023}}</ref>

{{Asof|2024|10}} the non-operational ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' is the Russian Navy's only carrier leaving the Russian Navy without an operational aircraft carrier. Reports that the ''Admiral Kuznetsov'''s crew of 1500 has been reassigned to the [[Russian Army]] for [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|combat duty in Ukraine]] have fueled speculation that there is no plan to make ''Admiral Kuznetsov'' seaworthy again.<ref name=forbes-2024-09-22>{{cite news|url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2024/09/22/the-kremlin-pulled-sailors-off-the-decrepit-aircraft-carrier-admiral-kuznetsov-and-sent-them-to-fight-and-die-in-ukraine/ |website= [[forbes.com]] |title= The Kremlin Pulled Sailors Off The Decrepit Aircraft Carrier 'Admiral Kuznetsov' And Sent Them To Fight, And Die, In Ukraine |first= David |last= Axe |author-link= David Axe |date= 2024-09-22 |access-date= 2024-10-24}}</ref>