Kuznetsov entered Russian service while her incomplete sister remained at the Black Sea Shipyard after the Soviet collapse. A senior Northern Fleet admiral's direct presence helped pull Kuznetsov into Russian service, while the unfinished Varyag remained in newly independent Ukraine. China acquired Varyag through a civilian-facing purchase story and then subjected the hull to a major reconstruction rather than a simple completion. That difficult rebuild made Liaoning both a usable carrier and a practical training ground for Chinese engineers and naval aviation.
Chapter · 23:55-27:24
From a Soviet shipyard to Liaoning
The division of the Soviet Union left the incomplete Varyag in Ukraine, enabling China's long reconstruction of the hull that became Liaoning.