VLADIMIR Putin’s cursed naval flagship is unlikely to ever sail again after he sent the crew to fight in Ukraine.
The Admiral Kuznetsov is the tyrant’s only aircraft carrier and has not been in service for eight years.
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A desperate Vlad has now designated some of the 1,500 crew members from the rustbucket as ground forces to his brutal invasion.
They’ve formed a land-based “frigate” battalion within Russia’s 1st Guards Tank Army, according to OSINT investigator Moklasen.
Some of those troops have already gone missing or died, Forbes reported.
Putin had wanted the 305-metre-long Soviet-era warship to play a role in the war, but the accident-prone vessel with up to 2,000 crew will sink if it sails again.
The floating dump has been hit by two fires while under repair, in 2019 and 2022.
The broken ship is currently docked in a military port north of the arctic Russian city of Murmansk.
There has been no official announcement of the crew’s redeployment, which could be seen by Russians as a sign of failure.
Mothers and wives of the crew are furious their men have been sent to assault groups on the frontline -m acting as Putin’s cannon fodder.
One crewman, Oleg Sosedov, 21, who had served on the aircraft carrier is now reported to died during an attack in Kharkiv on July 23.
His mother Natasha Simbirtseva has been told by fellow servicemen that he had been killed.
She said: “He has not been in touch since July 21.
“He was seen alive on July 23, and has not been seen since.
“But there is a fellow soldier who confirmed that the two (dead) are my son Oleg Sosedov and Dmitry Teplukhin (another seaman).”
The desperate mother said: “No official information has come.
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“The commanders are not calling and are not reporting any information.”
She slammed the “complete inaction” of top brass in failing to search for missing men on they battlefield and repatriate the corpses of fallen fighters.
“It’s ****ed up that fighters are being sent from our only aircraft carrier to storm a village in the Kharkiv region,” she raged.
Missing too is Ivan Akenchenkov, 51, another crew member of the Admiral Kuznetsov.
He was last in touch with family on 27 July.
The flagship of Russia’s Northern Fleet, the Admiral Kuznetsov – commissioned in 1990 – has been involved in naval convoys passing the British coast.
It can carry up to 28 planes (Su-33 and MiG-29) and 17 helicopters (Ka-52K and Ka-27), and is armed with P-700 Granit missiles.
When the Admiral Kuznetsov came to the English Channel
The Admiral Kuznetsov “sulked” past the UK on its way back to Russia from Syria in 2017.
UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon dubbed the carrier a “ship of shame” as the ship and its task group was escorted by a Royal Navy frigate and jets.
Britain sent HMS Albans and Typhoon fighters to monitor the pass and “provide reassurance” to countries bordering the North Sea and English Channel.
Fallon said: “We are man-marking these vessels every step of the way around the UK as part of our steadfast commitment to keep Britain safe.”
Cmdr Chris Ansell, in command of HMS St Albans, said: “This tasking demonstrates the Royal Navy’s commitment to protecting our home waters and readiness to undertake short notice operations.
“The movements of the Russian ships are being continually monitored in a co-ordinated response between the Royal Navy, RAF and our NATO partners.
“As an island nation, the security of the seas around our coastline is vital and this sort of task is routine business for HMS St Albans and the Royal Navy, which stands ready at all times.”
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