In a picture released by the British Ministry of Defence, UK ships and aircraft shadow the Russian Petr Velikiy (C) and the Russian Admiral Kuznetsov (top) as they pass through the English Channel January 24, 2017 (AFP Photo/L(Phot) Dave JENKINS)
Business Insider: Russian ships sailing by NATO's war games have a tug with them — and it's a telltale sign of their surface fleet's biggest problem
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* The Russian Navy's fleet is in the throes of a big maintenance problem.
* Many of its blue-water ships, including its only aircraft carrier, never leave port without an oceangoing tug in company.
* Experts say this has less to do with crew efficiency than Russia's over-reliance on an aging, insufficient surface fleet that is prone to breakdowns.
In 2000, an explosion in the Russian submarine Kursk sent the vessel to the ocean floor, killing all 118 of its crew.
In the decade that followed, at least four fires broke out at Russian shipyards.
In 2009, Russia's Admiral Kuznetsov — which has been labeled one of the worst aircraft carriers in the world — lost a sailor when a fire broke out due to a short circuit.
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WNU Editor: It is an understatement to say that the Russian Navy has a maintenance problem, especially after today .... Russia's Only Aircraft Carrier Damaged After Floating Dock Sinks And A Crane Collapses On It.