MOSCOW. Feb 18 (Interfax) - The decision to dispose of the Admiral Lazarev heavy nuclear-powered missile-carrying cruiser is regrettable, considering that Russia has not built new ships of the same class, Adm. Vladimir Komoyedov, former commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, said on Thursday.
"It looks like they decided it can't be restored. As a seaman, I regret this. You feel great on board such a ship," Komoyedov told Interfax on Thursday.
Komoyedov said he was involved in the trials of the Pyotr Veliky, a cruiser of the same class, while serving as first deputy commander of Russia's Northern Fleet.
"This is an excellent project. Unique ships. It's hard for me to judge about the Admiral Lazarev's current condition. Apparently, specialists have evaluated it, and perhaps there's something wrong about its reactor, or its systems have rotted through. What I want to say is, this is a colossal cruiser. A colossal product of the Soviet shipbuilding industry. I am sorry that they've decided to scrap it. Russia can't build such ships now," Komoyedov said.
"Breaking is not making, but scrapping such a ship is not an easy task, either," he said.
The scrapping of the Admiral Lazarev is to begin this year, according to materials published on Russia's public procurement website.
The documents indicate that the Rosatom state corporation and Ship Maintenance Plant No. 30 have signed a contract for scrapping the Admiral Lazarev heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser of Project 1144.1, factory number 801.
Consistent with the 5-billion-ruble contract, the cruiser will be placed in the deconstruction dock of Ship Maintenance Plant No. 30 by late August 2021. The disposal operations should be finished by November 30, 2025.