Ukrainian cruiser Ukraina explained

Ukraina is a Ukrainian originally ordered by the Soviet Union in the early 1980s under the name Admiral Flota Lobov ("Fleet Admiral Lobov"). After the Soviet Union disbanded in the early 1990s, the ship passed on to Russia and then to Ukraine, assuming the name Ukraina. In 2010 the Ukrainian parliament stripped the ship of her name.[1] The ship remains unfinished and is currently moored at the Mykolayiv Shipyard (former 61 Kommunara Shipbuilding Plant).

History

The ship was laid down in 1983 and launched in 1990 just before the fall of the Soviet Union. Due to budget constraints work on the cruiser stopped in the early 1990s and the ship was left unfinished. In 1993 the cruiser was withdrawn from the Russian Navy and passed to Ukraine. In 1997 Ukraine stated that it had no need for the cruiser and was willing to sell her. Russia was unwilling to buy the cruiser, China and India were then approached but showed no interest at the time.[2] In addition, the U.S. government has asked the Ukrainian government to stop supplying military technology to China in exchange for NATO accession and economic assistance.[3] According to Ukrainian sources in 2007 the cruiser needed 30 million dollars to be finished.[4]

Status

The cruiser sits docked and unfinished at the harbor of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine.[5]

In April 2010, sources from the Russian defense committee claimed that Russia had plans to buy the unfinished cruiser from Ukraine. In May 2010, after talks with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev in Kyiv, Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych stated that they had come to an agreement to finish the ship together.[6] On 21 January 2011, Russian navy sources stated that Russia was only interested in obtaining the cruiser if they could have her free of charge. By early March 2011, Russian defence minister Anatoly Serdyukov stated that Russia was still waiting for an acceptable offer from Ukraine, regarding potential procurement of the missile cruiser. His Ukrainian counterpart Mykhailo Yezhel responded that he would not scrap a 95% complete warship, and that the issue would be resolved in the near future.[7] [8]

It was reported that the Ukrainian government invested ₴6.08 million into the ship's maintenance in 2012.[9]

On 26 March 2017, it was announced that the Ukrainian Government would be scrapping the vessel which has been laid up, incomplete, for nearly 30 years in Mykolaiv. Maintenance and construction was costing the country US$225,000 per month.

On 18 August 2018, it was reported that Brazil was interested in acquiring the ship, have her undergo extensive modernization, and transfer her to the Brazilian Navy.[10] [11]

On 19 September 2019, the new director of Ukroboronprom Aivaras Abromavičius announced that the ship would be sold.[12] However, according to satellite imagery, the ship remains untouched as of August 2022.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Суровая реальность: готова ли Украина воевать на море . The harsh reality: is Ukraine ready to fight at sea? . Maxim . Gardus . 29 January 2016 . Apostrof . uk . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160704011200/http://apostrophe.com.ua/article/society/2016-01-29/surovaya-realnost-gotova-li-ukraina-voevat-na-more/3135 . 2016-07-04.
  2. News: Russia, Ukraine to Sell Soviet Missile Cruiser . 7 February 2007 . . 27 November 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090105210509/http://www.kommersant.com/p-10051/r_500/missile_cruiser_sell_/ . 2009-01-05.
  3. News: Ukraine's path to NATO complicated by close ties to China . Jack . Laurenson . 3 July 2018 . South China Morning Post.
  4. News: Kiev Eager to Sell Missile Cruiser . 30 January 2007 . Kommersant . 27 November 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121012022306/http://www.kommersant.com/p-9977/r_500/cruiser_sale/ . 2012-10-12.
  5. Web site: Абромавичус пропонує продати ракетний крейсер "Україна" . Abromavicius offers to sell missile cruiser "Ukraine" . September 20, 2019 . uk . LB.ua.
  6. Web site: Russia's ready to bring back cruiser Ukraina . Rusnavy.com . 23 April 2010 . 6 October 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20200929072207/http://rusnavy.com/news/navy/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=9264 . 2020-09-29.
  7. Web site: Russia won't buy uncompleted cruiser from Ukraine . Rusnavy.com . 21 January 2011 . 6 October 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170327171144/http://rusnavy.com/news/navy/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=11281 . 2017-03-27.
  8. Web site: Russia waits for Kyiv's acceptable decision on the missile cruiser sale . Rusnavy.com . 28 February 2011 . 6 October 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170327171205/http://rusnavy.com/news/navy/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=11595 . 2017-03-27.
  9. Web site: Ukraine Invested UAH 6 mln in Maintenance of Ukraina Cruiser . Rusnavy.com . 9 April 2012 . 6 October 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160411193240/http://rusnavy.com/news/othernavies/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=14824 . 2016-04-11.
  10. Web site: Недобудований ракетний крейсер проекту 1164 можуть передати Бразилії . The unfinished missile cruiser project 1164 can be transferred to Brazil . uk . 15 August 2018 . Ukrainian Military Pages.
  11. Web site: Tamandaré: Ucrânia oferece corveta 58250 e cruzador inacabado de offset . Tamandaré: Ukraine offers corvette 58250 and offset cruiser . 15 July 2018 . Revista Portos e Navios . pt.
  12. News: Новий глава Укроборонпрому задумав продати крейсер "Україна" . The new head of Ukroboronprom plans to sell the cruiser "Ukraine" . 20 September 2019 . . uk.

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