Russian president Vladimir Putin has finally confirmed what's been bruited about for months: economic sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States have forced the Kremlin to officially postpone the development of a new aircraft carrier and a new class of nuclear-powered destroyers for the Russian Navy.

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Putin announced the postponement of both flagship projects, making the navy the service hardest hit by the new and huge budget cuts.

Russian military experts a few months ago were openly speculating Russia's severe cash crisis will hit the navy particularly hard, which means the navy will get fewer new warships and submarines. As a result, the navy has to prioritize its procurement targets so no new warships will introduced in the foreseeable future.

"Most likely, Russia will have to abandon the Project 23560 Lider-class (Leader class) destroyer program and postpone until the 2030s construction of the Shtorm (Project 23000E) aircraft carrier, which is expected to carry around 90 fighters, including the naval version of the fifth-generation fighter," said Dmitry Litovkin, a military analyst in April.

Shtorm was to have been Russia's first true nuclear aircraft carrier in the mold of the U.S. Navy's new Gerald R. Ford-class. It was to have been the largest of its kind in the world.

Shtorm should have joined the Russian Navy by 2030. This carrier, which will apparently be the lead ship in the Shtorm-class, will feature a full flight deck similar to that in the U.S. Navy's Nimitz-class nuclear powered aircraft carriers.

It will be the first Russian aircraft carrier built to this design. Previous Russian "aircraft carriers" such as the RFS Admiral Kuznetsov (063) are officially classified by the Russian Navy as a "heavy aircraft-carrying cruisers."

The paltry defensive missile armament on Shtorm means it will have to be protected by at least 10 escorting warships consisting of frigates, destroyers, cruisers and submarines. Russia will also have to build these expensive warships.

Russian experts estimate the construction of Shtorm will cost from $6.15 to $17.5 billion, depending on the ship's components.

Russia expects the new Lider-class, which are huge nuclear powered destroyers, to be the most heavily armed and largest warship of its type in the world.

Described in Russian media as "a strongpoint in the ocean," Leader destroyers will be armed with Russia's latest anti-ship and surface-to-air missiles that will allow it to outfight any destroyer in operation today.

The nuclear power plant will enable the Russian Navy destroyer to remain at sea for up to 90 days, long enough to conduct long-range patrols of the Pacific Ocean.

TagsVladimir Putin, economic sanctions, Russian Navy, Lider-class, Shtorm