There’s some confusion in Russia’s shipbuilding business about whether or not the country is done trying to build helicopter carriers. Russia’s industry and trade minister, Denis Manturov, said in an interview with the news agency Interfax on August 20 that these projects, “in a pure sense of the word,” are over, though the Navy will retain a few such ships. (Manturov added that Russia is still discussing the construction of a second aircraft carrier.)
Almost immediately after the interview was published, however, a “high-placed source in Russia’s shipbuilding industry” told RIA Novosti that the Defense Ministry hasn’t yet made up its mind about the future of helicopter-carrier construction in Russia.