Upgrade works on Russia’s sole aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov will begin in May and the warship will get new air defense missile systems during its modernization, Russian Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief Viktor Bursuk said on Wednesday.

"The works will begin in May this year and in 2021 the Navy expects to get it [the aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov] back," he said, reported by TASS.

"Its air defenses will be improved and new shipborne Pantsyr [surface-to-air missile] systems will be installed on it. Besides, its power-generating equipment will be replaced by new boilers, a number of new pumps and new flight control systems: landing, surveillance, control systems and so on," Bursuk said.

As the Ship-Building Corporation announced earlier, the shipbuilders signed a contract with Russia’s Defense Ministry on the repair of the Project 11435 heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov. The warship is under repairs at the Zvyozdochka Ship-Building Center. Zvyozdochka earlier reported that all the necessary works had been carried out at the 35th Ship-Repairing Yard in Murmansk where the Admiral Kuznetsov will undergo upgrade.