KIEV, September 20. /TASS/. Ukraine’s state-run defense concern Ukroboronprom is considering the possibility of selling the unfinished Ukraina missile cruiser, currently kept at the Nikolayev Shipyard, the company’s press service said.
"There’s no need for Ukraine to have a cruiser of this size, that’s why we will consider the possibility of selling this cruiser. We will build new ships: of a smaller size but in bigger numbers, according to the needs of our armed forces," the press service quoted Ukroboronprom head Aivaras Abromavicius as saying in an interview with DW.
According to him, the cruiser was designed in 1970s, and, therefore, is not capable of acting with efficiency under present-day conditions. In his words, the vessel cannot be used in the Black and Azov seas.
This summer, then defense minister Stepan Poltorak suggested scrapping the vessel, saying it was technologically outdated and unfit for use.
The Ukraina missile cruiser was floated out in 1992 with construction scheduled to be over two years later, but it still remains moored at the Nikolayev Shipyard. The project is 95% ready, but remains frozen for many years. Maintaining the ship in proper condition has already cost several million dollars to the Ukrainian government.