Russia has nothing to help Venezuela with – its only aircraft carrier is being cut up, says Sivkov.
The Venezuelan crisis is precisely the occasion for Russia to send its aircraft carrier to the rescue. However, the only remaining ship of this class, the Admiral Kuznetsov, is already being prepared for scrapping.
Military expert and retired colonel Konstantin Sivkov stated this on the Red Line television channel, as reported by a PolitNavigator correspondent.
" How can we seriously help Venezuela? Our only aircraft carrier is currently being scrapped ," Sivkov said.
He recalled the arguments of liberals who insisted that Russia no longer had ambitions that required expensive, large, ocean-going ships.
" I answer: this 'fifth column,' this aircraft carrier, if it were commissioned, would increase the Northern Fleet's potential by half. Now, this aircraft carrier, along with its air group and escort ships, could easily arrive in the Venezuelan region and show its colors there . It could, but now it can't because it's being dismantled," Sivkov said.
The fact that the Russian army is constrained by the war in Ukraine also has an impact.
"When we talk about what's happening in Venezuela, firstly, we don't have the strength or resources, and secondly, because we're currently working on achieving peace in Ukraine under conditions acceptable to us," Sivkov said.
Russia has nothing to help Venezuela with – its only aircraft carrier is being cut up, says Sivkov.