Why Russia persisted with Admiral Kuznetsov

Why was Russia still trying to repair and retain Admiral Kuznetsov?

Russia had few alternatives, valued the status of retaining a carrier, and did not want an overseas refit to demonstrate that it lacked the domestic ability to repair the ship.

In this 2020 assessment, Russia retained Admiral Kuznetsov because it had few other carrier options and wanted the status associated with operating one. Sending the ship abroad for refit would advertise that Russia could not maintain the capability domestically. The repair decision therefore depended on national prestige and the appearance of industrial independence as well as the ship's condition.