The flight deck of this Russian aircraft carrier looks like something from the future

24/7 Wall St. Perspectives

• 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a carrier catalog from Haze Gray to identify Russian and Soviet aircraft carriers used throughout history.
• Russia currently has an aircraft carrier and it is decommissioned for repairs.
• Also: Discover the “Next NVIDIA”

Russia currently has an aircraft carrier and it is decommissioned for repairs. The Admiral Kuznetsov was launched in 1985 and may enter service again in late 2024 or 2025. Despite Russia’s lack of current aircraft carriers, the country boasts the world’s third-strongest navy. However, during the Cold War, the Soviet Union had several aircraft carriers, some of which were intended for anti-submarine warfare.

Here at 24/7 Wall St. takes a closer look at the Russian and Soviet navies over the years, with a focus on aircraft carriers. To identify Russian and Soviet aircraft carriers used throughout history, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed an aircraft carrier catalog from Haze Gray, an online database of aircraft carriers. We have ordered these aircraft carriers based on when they were commissioned. We have included additional information regarding carrier class, aircraft hosted, crew size and propulsion.

Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia’s only operational aircraft carrier, has faced constant maintenance problems and economic constraints. In December 2019, a fire on the ship killed one serviceman and injured 12 others. When operational, the ship can hold a number of Sukhoi and MiG fighter jets and a number of helicopters. (These are all classes of warships and submarines in the Russian Navy.)

Here’s a look at all of Russia’s aircraft carriers throughout history:

Why are we covering this?

While Russia has a history of building and operating aircraft carriers, its current capabilities have been overshadowed by major naval powers such as the United States. With current geopolitical tensions rising and an ongoing conflict in Ukraine, it is important to have an understanding of the military capabilities of other adversary nations.

Moscow

• Class: Moskva class
• Type: Helicopter port
• Commissioned: 1967
• Aircraft: 14 helicopters
• Crew: 850
• Propulsion: Steam turbines, 4 boilers, 2 shafts, 100,000 HP, 30 knots

Leningrad

• Class: Moskva class
• Type: Helicopter port
• Commissioned: 1969
• Aircraft: 14 helicopters
• Crew: 850
• Propulsion: Steam turbines, 4 boilers, 2 shafts, 100,000 HP, 30 knots

Kyiv

• Class: Kyiv-class
• Type: Cruiser plane
• Commissioned: 1975
• Aircraft: 31 VTOL
• Crew: 1,600
• Propulsion: Steam turbines, 8 boilers, 4 shafts, 200,000 hp, 32 knots

Minsk

• Class: Kyiv-class
• Type: Cruiser plane
• Commissioned: 1978
• Aircraft: 31 VTOL
• Crew: 1,600
• Propulsion: Steam turbines, 8 boilers, 4 shafts, 200,000 hp, 32 knots

Novorossiysk

• Class: Kyiv-class
• Type: Cruiser plane
• Commissioned: 1982
• Aircraft: 31 VTOL
• Crew: 1,600
• Propulsion: Steam turbines, 8 boilers, 4 shafts, 200,000 hp, 32 knots

Baku

• Class: Kyiv-class
• Type: Cruiser plane
• Commissioned: 1987
• Aircraft: 30+ VTOLs
• Crew: 1,600
• Propulsion: Steam turbines, 8 boilers, 4 shafts, 200,000 hp, 31.5 knots

Kuznetsov

• Class: Kuznetsov class
• Type: Cruiser plane
• Commissioned: 1990
• Aircraft: 30
• Crew: 1,500
• Propulsion: Steam turbines, 8 boilers, 4 shafts, 200,000 HP, 30 knots

Varyag

• Class: Kuznetsov class
• Type: Cruiser plane
• Commissioned: 2012
• Aircraft: 30
• Crew: 1,500
• Propulsion: Steam turbines, 8 boilers, 4 shafts, 200,000 HP, 30 knots

Ulyanovsk

• Class: Ulyanovsk class
• Type: Supercarrier
• Commissioned: disposed
• Aircraft: 80
• Crew: N/A
• Propulsion: Steam turbines, 4 reactors, 4 shafts, 200,000 shp, 30 knots

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