Ukrainian cruiser Ukrayina

Career
Name: Ukrayina, formerly Admiral Flota Lobov
Builder: 61 Kommunara Shipbuilding Plant (SY 445), Mykolaiv
Laid down: 1983
Launched: 1990
Status: Unfinished, docked in Mykolaiv.
General characteristics
Class and type: Slava class cruiser
Displacement: 11,490 tons
Length: 186.4 m (611.5 ft)
Beam: 20.8 m (68.2 ft)
Draft: 8.4 m (27.6 ft)
Propulsion: 4 COGOG gas turbines, 2 shafts 121,000 shp
Speed: 32 knots
Range: 10,000 miles @ 16 knots
Complement: 480
Sensors and
processing systems:
•Voskhod MR-800 (Top Pair) 3D search radar
•Fregat MR-710 (Top Steer) 3D search radar
•Palm Frond navigation radar
•Pop group SA-N-4 fire control radar
•Top Dome SA-N-6 fire control radar
•Bass Tilt AK-360 CIWS System fire control radar
•Bull horn MF hull mounted sonar
Electronic warfare
and decoys:
Rum Tub and Side Globe EW antennas
2x PK-2 DL (140mm chaff / flare)
Armament: 16x P-500 Bazalt (SS-N-12 Sandbox) anti-ship missiles
8x8 (64) S-300PMU Favorit (SA-N-6 Grumble) long-range surface-to-air missiles
2x20 (40) OSA-MA (SA-N-4 Gecko) SR SAM
1x twin AK-130 130mm/L70 dual purpose guns
6xAK-630 close-in weapons systems possibly replaced by Kashtan (CADS-N-1)
2x RBU-6000 anti-submarine mortars
10x(2 quin) 533mm torpedo tubes
Armor: Splinter plating
Aircraft carried: 1 Ka-25 or Ka-27 Helicopter

The Ukrainian cruiser Ukrayina is a Slava class cruiser ordered by the Soviet Union in the early 1980s. The ship was laid down in 1983 and launched in 1990 just before the fall of the Soviet union. Because of budget constraints work on the cruiser stopped in the early 1990s and the ship was left unfinished. In 1993 the cruiser was withdrawn from Russia’s Navy and passed to Ukraine. In 1997 Ukraine stated that it had no need for the cruiser and was willing to sell it. Russia was unwilling to buy the cruiser, China and India was then approached but showed no interest at the time.[1] According to Ukrainian sources the Cruiser needs 30 million dollars to be finished.[2]

Status

The cruiser sits docked and unfinished at the harbor of Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine. In April 2010, sources from the Russian defense committee claimed that Russia had plans to buy the unfinished cruiser from Ukraine and in May 2010, after talks with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev in Kiev, Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych stated that they had come to an agreement to finish the ship together.[3][4] Because of Ukraine's lack of funds, it is unlikely that the cruiser will be commissioned in the Ukrainian Navy. Many experts believe that Russia will buy the cruiser from Ukraine when finished.[5]

On 18 November 2010 the Ukrainian defense minister Mikhail Yezhel said that Russian partners did want to purchase the cruiser but that they wanted to inspect the cruiser before making a definitive decision.[6]

On 21 January 2011 Russian navy sources stated that Russia only is interested in obtaining the cruiser if they can have it free of charge. By early March 2011 Russian defence minister Anatoly Serdiukov, stated that Russia was still waiting for an acceptable offer from Ukraine regarding potential procurement of the missile cruiser. His Ukrainian counterpart Mikhail Yezhel responded that he would not scrap a 95% complete warship and that the issue would be resolved in the near future.[7][8]

References