As the only Russian aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, rusts and burns during repairs, its crew has been reformed into a mechanized battalion and deployed to Ukraine.
Missing in Operation
According to UK Defence Journal and WP, this battalion initially fought in the northern Kharkiv region and has now reportedly moved to the Pokrovsk area.
The news of this transformation emerged as families began sharing information on the Russian social media platform Vkontakte while searching for soldiers from the unit known as 78987.
The situation gained attention after Oleg Sosedov, a sailor from the Kuznetsov, went missing during a Russian operation in Kharkiv in July. Sosedov was last seen during an assault on the border village of Sotnytskii Kozachok.
Reminiscent of Nazi Germany
The move to create infantry battalions from naval crews highlights a troubling trend reminiscent of Nazi Germany’s desperate measures toward the end of World War II.
Training and education for naval personnel are intensive and costly, making the use of such skilled individuals for frontal assaults—a strategy sometimes referred to as “meat assaults”—a sign of desperation.
The Admiral Kuznetsov, built in Ukraine during the Soviet era, is the flagship of the Russian Navy.
Measuring approximately 1,000 feet long, it features a ski-jump ramp that limits the aircraft's payload but simplifies construction. The carrier can theoretically accommodate nearly 60 Su-33 or MiG-29K aircraft, although budget constraints have kept the operational fleet to a mere handful.
Additionally, training pilots for aircraft carrier landings poses challenges, as the only training facility with a movable runway is in Crimea, an area frequently shelled by Ukrainian forces.
The Kuznetsov is armed with twelve P-700 Granit anti-ship missile launchers, boasting a range of 625 kilometers and capable of supersonic speeds, but these defenses could not save the carrier from its deteriorating fate.
