January 7, 2023
2 mins read

Russians want return of Soviet aircraft carrier from China

Launched in November 1988, the unfinished Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier Varyag sailed into Ukraine with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1992 and the division of the Black Sea Fleet (BSF) assets between newly-independent states,a reports Ateet Sharma

A Russian politician has proposed to buy back from China the Soviet aircraft carrier sold to it by Ukraine and name it after the founder of the Liberal Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovsky who passed away last year.

Sergey Karginov, the First Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation on Development of Far East and Arctic, made the appeal to Director of Russian Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Pacific Cooperation Department Alexei Ovchinnikov.

Launched in November 1988, the unfinished Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier Varyag sailed into Ukraine with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1992 and the division of the Black Sea Fleet (BSF) assets between newly-independent states.

In 1998, it was bought by China which termed it as just a pile of scrap metal and promised to convert it into a floating casino.

However, Beijing refined the vessel into its first aircraft carrier e renaming it first as Shi Lan and then Liaoning after its northeastern province – putting it into commission in 2012 as the dispute with Japan over the Senkaku Islands aggravated.

Sergey Karginov (Photo Duma.gov.ru)

The Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), which earlier suggested that Russian airline Aeroflot name one of its planes after Zhirinovsky, is now campaigning to bring back the Soviet-built aircraft-carrying cruiser.

“After the collapse of the country, Ukraine preferred to sell it in fact for a few bottles of vodka, at the price of scrap metal. Given the current situation, I propose to buy the ship from China, give it the name of the founder of the Liberal Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovsky and make it the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet,” Karginov was quoted as saying by the Russian state media on Friday.

As China continues to expand and intensify its military activities at sea and in the air, it was reported last week that the Liaoning Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is currently operating in the East China Sea.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)

ALSO READ: Pak cries foul over ‘non-functional’ railway bogies imported from China

Previous Story

Senior PML-N leaders upset with Maryam Nawaz’s elevation

Next Story

‘Neighbours intervening in Nepal’s affairs’: Oli again targets India

Latest from -Top News

Yunus Must Be Treated Like Hasina, Warn Islamists

Islamist group made these warnings to the interim government, terming the women’s reform body proposals as “anti-Islamic…reports Asian Lite News The radical Islamist group in Bangladesh, Hefazat-e-Islam, has issued a threat, stating

UN: Bring Pahalgam Terrorists to Justice

The members of the Security Council “stressed that those responsible for these killings should be held accountable..reports Asian Lite News The Security Council has “condemned in the strongest terms” the Pahalgam terrorist

Vatican Hosts Final Rites for Pope Francis

The Argentine-born pontiff, the first from Latin America, died less than a month after returning home from a prolonged five-week hospitalisation for double pneumonia….reports Asian Lite News In an outpouring of global

US Backs India’s Hunt for Pahalgam Terrorists

Gabbard’s “hunt down” message comes amidst escalating Indian response to the terrorist attack, saying it had clear “cross-border” links to Pakistan….reports Asian Lite News Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence (DNI), on

Border Sealed, Hopes on Hold

A Hindu family from Balochistan’s Sibi was reportedly denied entry into India after the closure of border crossing….reports Asian Lite News Pakistan and India’s decision to shut down the Wagah-Attari border crossing
Go toTop

Don't Miss

‘Russia doesn’t want to end war’

He added that this is a cruel paradox of the

Influencers Join China’s Narrative Push

In the digital era, China seeks to influence global opinion