News

Russia to scrap its biggest nuclear cruiser for $40m

Publish date: September 7, 2004

Severodvinsk based plant Zvezdochka will dismantle the nuclear cruiser ex-Admiral Ushakov, ITAR-TASS reported.

Severodvinsk based Design Bureau Onega is responsible for development of the dismantlement project of the cruiser which is moored at Zvezdochka. The Russian Federal Agency on Atomic Energy ordered the project.


According to ITAR-TASS with the reference to the Zvezdochka plant’s press department, $40m is needed to scrap the biggest Russian cruiser and $10m from this sum would be spent to develop a dismantling project as Russia has no experience in cutting such big nuclear powered cruisers. The ship cannot even fit any dock at the plant, so it will be scrapped afloat. The main task for the designers is to create a technology of the safe extraction of the reactor unit and its storage during 50 years. It will take not less than 1.5 years to develop the technical documentation.


Heavy nuclear missile cruiser Admiral Ushakov (Kirov before 1992) was built at the Baltiysky shipyard in St Petersburg in 1980 and used to be the flagship of the Russian navy. Since 90’s the cruiser needed repairs and did not take part in the exercises. In June this year the cruiser’s name was transferred to destroyer ”Besstrashny” based in Severomorsk, so the former navy flagship Admiral Ushakov carries only number 090 on its bow at the moment.