The NATO Joint Air Command announced that yesterday, F-35 aircraft from the Royal Norwegian Air Force were scrambled to intercept two Tu-95MS strategic bombers, accompanied by two Su-33 deck fighters.
Given the flight's geography, there are reasons to assume that the aforementioned Tu-95MS, escorted by Su-33, took off from the Olenya airfield, which is currently one of the main bases for Russia's strategic aviation.
It is important to note that the Russians have only about 17 Su-33 units. All of them were previously part of the "Kuznetsov" air group, and by the end of 2023, it became known that they had been retired to shore to form a separate mixed air corps for the Northern Fleet, which specifically hinted at the real condition of the "Admiral Kuznetsov".
The "Admiral Kuznetsov" holds significant importance for Russian propaganda, as it is the only aircraft carrier that Russia possesses. Therefore, the Russians are spending enormous amounts of money on its restoration and the swift reintroduction into service. Consequently, by the time it emerges from repairs, they should already have trained pilots ready to carry out combat missions from the deck.
Since the "Kuznetsov" has been under repair for over 7 years, some pilots capable of taking off from the carrier's deck have already retired, and those remaining, who conduct significantly easier flights from land, need to retrain to develop skills for takeoff and landing on the deck, which takes one year, as previously reported by Defense Express.
Considering that the Russians planned to bring the "Admiral Kuznetsov" out of repairs last year, pilots and their aircraft should have already been undergoing training for landing on the aircraft carrier. Indeed, Russian media reported the start of the pilot training process for these aircraft.
However, since the only training facility is located in temporarily occupied Crimea, near the city of Saki, these pilots should be there. Unfortunately, it turns out that they are not undergoing training and are still in the north, escorting Tu-95MS from the Olenya airfield in the Murmansk region of Russia.
Therefore, it can be concluded that the Russian authorities will continue to siphon funds for the repair of the "Admiral Kuznetsov," and it is unlikely to emerge from repairs within the next year. Considering the pace of repairs and all the new problems that arise with it, as we reported earlier, the "Kuznetsov" is unlikely to ever come out of repairs.