Russia's Only Aircraft Carrier Catches Fire
BY BRENDAN COLE ON 12/22/2
A fire broke out on the flagship of the Russian Navy, according to local media reports.
The blaze started on the Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia's only aircraft carrier, while it was docked at the Zvyozdochka shipyard in the Barents Sea port city of Murmansk, located in the far north-west of Russia, news agency Tass said.
An emergency services source told the agency on Thursday morning that 20 people had been evacuated, the fire was extinguished and that "there were no casualties."
Alexei Rakhmanov, head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), which is overseeing renovation of the vessel, told RIA Novosti that the incident occurred during repair work.
The Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is pictured in the Russian northern port city of Murmansk on May 19, 2018. Russian media reported on December 22, 2022 that there has been a fire on board the vessel.ALEXANDER NEMENOV/GETTY IMAGESThe Admiral Kuznetsov has been out of service and in dry dock for repairs since 2018.
The 43,000-tonne, 1000-foot warship has a crew of 1,300 and is armed with anti-ship and air defense missile systems. In November 2022, officials said repairs were on schedule and the vessel would be ready by the first quarter of 2024.
In November Rakhmanov told reporters in Moscow that "obstructions" were found in separate sections of the ship but "the work is on schedule," and that "we will do everything to make this happen."
The renovation is expected to give the vessel new combat potential and extend its operational lifespan for another 10 to 15 years, Naval News reported.
The vessel has been the scene of other mishaps. In October 2018 Russia's biggest floating dry dock, PD-50, sank, causing one of its 70-ton cranes to crash onto the ship's flight deck, causing a large hole.
In December 2019 two crew died and more than a dozen were injured following a fire that started in the hold that also caused an estimated $8 million worth of damage.
The project to repair the ship has also been beset by corruption. In March 2021 the director general of the shipyard overseeing the repairs was arrested for embezzlement of funds totaling 45 million rubles ($606,300), Tass reported.
Russia's war effort in Ukraine was dealt a major blow after the Black Sea fleet flagship Moskva sank in April after it was attacked by Ukrainian forces.
Ukraine said it hit the vessel with Neptune missiles, causing it to sink with the loss of up to 250 sailors. Russia denied the Ukrainian version of events, saying the vessel sank after a fire on board detonated ammunition.
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