MOSCOW, May 25. /TASS/. Russia will build its first helicopter carrier by 2022, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said on Thursday.

"The cycle of building a helicopter carrier is at least four years; yes, somewhere by 2022," the deputy defense minister said.

The Russian Navy currently lacks universal amphibious assault ships. Mistral-class helicopter carriers ordered in France in 2011 were not delivered to Russia.

Russia’s United Ship-Building Corporation earlier said the domestic shipyards could create the analog of Mistral ships.

Late in July last year, Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief Viktor Bursuk said the technical assignment for the universal amphibious assault ship had been prepared.