Russia’s only aircraft carrier has again caught fire, just a few months before the warship was scheduled to return to sea following extensive repairs.

Admiral Kuznetsov caught fire on Thursday while the ship was close to completing years of repairs and returning to service in the Russian navy, according to Alexei Rakhmanov, head of the state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC).

Rakhmanov told Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency that there were no casualties or damage and that the fire had been extinguished. Approximately 20 people were evacuated from the ship, which was undergoing repairs at a dry dock in Murmansk, a city in the Arctic region of Russia, according to the Tass news agency.

A troubled recent history

The carrier started an overhaul and modernisation programme in 2017 to extend its service life by 25 years. However, in October 2018, Admiral Kuznetsov was damaged when Russia’s biggest floating dry dock, PD-50, sank, causing one of its 70-ton cranes to crash onto the ship’s flight deck, leaving behind a 19-square-metre (200 sq ft) hole.

Local media reported that one person was reported missing and four injured as the dry dock sank in Kola Bay. Admiral Kuznetsov was in the process of being removed from the dock when the incident occurred, and was towed to a nearby yard after the incident. The fallen crane was removed after three months.

In late May 2019, seven months later, information posted on Digital Forensic Research Lab’s blog suggested that repair work of the aircraft carrier was underway. That same month, it was also announced that two graving docks in Roslyakovo, Murmansk Oblast would be merged and enlarged to accommodate Admiral Kuznetsov, the work taking a year and a half.

In December 2019, a major fire broke out on board Admiral Kuznetsov as work continued on the ship’s refit. Two people died and fourteen suffered injuries from the fire and smoke inhalation. Fire-related damage aboard Admiral Kuznetsov was estimated at US$8 million.

Another fire was reported today.

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George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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Expat
Expat
1 year ago

They say things always happen in 3s, lets hope so.

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago
Reply to  Expat

🤞👍

Jim
Jim
1 year ago
Reply to  Expat

It is probably the Russian pilots setting it on fire trying to save their lives from ever having to operate off such a death trap again. 😀

Spyinthesky
Spyinthesky
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim

I think this is the most effective ship in the Russian navy can you imagine the damage it could cause if it ever caught fire near an allied ship.

Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke
1 year ago
Reply to  Spyinthesky

It is actually the most effective NATO asset that Russia provides. It sucks in so much budget……

Cymbeline
Cymbeline
1 year ago

Sounds like a insurance job to me. The Russian Navy hoping for a new replacement for an old item. Best they can hope for is scrap price.

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago
Reply to  Cymbeline

🤣😂😁

Jim
Jim
1 year ago
Reply to  Cymbeline

Unfortunately due to sanctions they can’t get insurance 😀

Cymbeline
Cymbeline
1 year ago
Reply to  Jim

Shows how desperate they are to remain in the carrier club that they throw money at this old tub. Smokes more than my old granny.

Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke
1 year ago

Yet another smoking related accident? They appear to be increasing in frequency and intensity! “ which was undergoing repairs at a dry dock in Murmansk” I suppose if you can describe something with an earth berm gate as a dry dock……. On one level it is sad that this is happening to a once proud military. On another level it is high time they realised they are out of the big league and to stop pretending and start saving some money and lives (I put it that way round deliberately as that is the order of importance to them) and… Read more »

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago

🤞🙏👍

James
James
1 year ago

😅

Marked
Marked
1 year ago

It wasn’t on fire. It was a special combustion operation.

OOA
OOA
1 year ago
Reply to  Marked

Very good

Barry Larking
Barry Larking
1 year ago
Reply to  Marked

Jury Prize. 👍

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago
Reply to  Barry Larking

Agreed. 👍👍

Chris
Chris
1 year ago
Reply to  Marked

👏👏😂

Last edited 1 year ago by Chris
James
James
1 year ago
Reply to  Marked

😂

Mickey
Mickey
1 year ago

Vasily! Plot a new course solution!

Lordtemplar
Lordtemplar
1 year ago

That ship is cursed

Sean
Sean
1 year ago

Please, please, please deploy to the Black Sea…
the Moskva is feeling lonely 😂

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago
Reply to  Sean

If the narrative of this saga was included in a novel, no one would believe in it’s credibility….

Sean
Sean
1 year ago
Reply to  FormerUSAF

Well Putin does seem to be living in a Star Trek style ‘mirror universe’…

GlynH
GlynH
1 year ago
Reply to  Sean

🙂 Very Apt !

Spyinthesky
Spyinthesky
1 year ago
Reply to  Sean

All I know is that he is a bloody Cling on.

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago
Reply to  Spyinthesky

👍😁

Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke
1 year ago
Reply to  Spyinthesky

Let’s be thankful we all had just about enough war stocks to deal with this madness.

Whilst I hate to say it, the Tangerine Tinted Buffon did push the UK to stop cutting and others to increase spend. God help us if cutting had continued.

It is Christmas and good people are dying on both sides. Whilst terrible people in the Kremlin are orchestrating this madness.

Which is why I find it bizarre that the Tangerine’s own Party might be Putrid Putin’s best hope….

If the Tangerine did one good thing for the world: this is it.

Monkey spanker
Monkey spanker
1 year ago

America always likes to turn the madness up to 11 and break the Knob off.

magwitch
magwitch
1 year ago

UK defence spending isn’t keeping pace with inflation so the cuts are continuing. 47.9bn nominal in 2022 to 48.0bn nominal in 2023 is a substantial cut when inflation is north of 10%.

DMJ
DMJ
1 year ago
Reply to  magwitch

Remember there was a £16b one off boost announced in 2021. As this works through future years will appear reduced

Supportive Bloke
Supportive Bloke
1 year ago
Reply to  magwitch

Underlying inflation is 6% and that isn’t annualised.

Underlying inflation is dropping quite sharply now.

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago

Best guess as of current date, 2024 will be a contest between Biden and DeSantis. Recall the old Chinese epithet, “May you live during interesting times.” 🤔😳😱🙄

How is your PM performing at the moment? No headlines on this side of Pond; probably a relief for body politic.

Levi Goldsteinberg
Levi Goldsteinberg
1 year ago
Reply to  FormerUSAF

Barely any headlines this side either. I think he is keeping a deliberately very low profile

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago
Reply to  Sean

🤔👍

Barry Larking
Barry Larking
1 year ago
Reply to  FormerUSAF

The more of life one sees the less sense it makes. Perhaps that is why the Russians have produced a great literature; as compensation.

Jonathan
Jonathan
1 year ago
Reply to  Barry Larking

Sadly Russian literature tends to both describe and excuse the Russian world view that history is history and the individual has no power. It has pretty much lead to a population that on the whole does not question and very much accepts what they see as the inevitable March of history.

Barry Larking
Barry Larking
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonathan

I don’t agree that history is a measure of a nation’s culture; Germany for example among many.

Jonathan
Jonathan
1 year ago
Reply to  Barry Larking

Culture is by its very nature build up in layers and is utterly dependent on what went before. history sculpts what we are and what we think. The past is unfortunately both inescapable and unchanging, we can however use that understand of who we are to create a better present and future, if we are both wise enough to look and brave enough to learn. As for Germany is culture is actually one of the very best examples of how a nations history sculptures its present culture. The who society is scared by massive historic trauma. The idea of Germany… Read more »

DH
DH
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonathan

Oh dear, mien Herren unt Damen chose the wrong Cross, and then went for Mr.’ Hilter’. Amazing fuck up. 🤔

Jonathan
Jonathan
1 year ago
Reply to  DH

Yep indeed, but the joy of hindsight and history is that you can see how all the bad choices lined up. Sometimes it can seem that one choice almost inevitably leads to another outcome and choice. The fact is the views of our 19th century Mien Herren unt Damen and the destruction of the Holy Roman Empire by Napoleon set the foundations for World War One, the rise of communism in Russia, World War Two and finally the Cold War sort of gives validation to the Russian view of the March or history as so well iterated by Tolstoys works.… Read more »

DH
DH
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonathan

Long story, short. Mass of people poorly educated manipulated at every turn. Then,when manage to get educated, they’re extermated. Leader was psychotic. WW2, Major city encircled, in extreme conditions, alas no law against canabolism, So Vlad pass me leg, this one is past it.🙃

Jonathan
Jonathan
1 year ago
Reply to  DH

Yep it can be summed up pretty much that way. Psychotic leader, poorly educated masses manipulate and those that get educated end up shot, stoned, burnt, hung (name your poison). Pretty much the history of humanity summed up.

in-fact you could say the only difference between the West in the 20th and 21st c and the rest of the world is that the number of educated massed finally overtook a psychotic leaders ability to have them all killed if they disagreed 😂😂😂😂

( I’m pretty sure trump would have shot a few people if he thought it would have worked).

DH
DH
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonathan

👍, yet who can tell. The trumpeter saga continues. Eh, what, sorry nodded off😴

Jonathan
Jonathan
1 year ago
Reply to  DH

orange boy is like the terminator he will be back….😂 time to prepare for Christmas Day no time for sleeping here ( we have the mother in law around ).

DH
DH
1 year ago
Reply to  DH

Sorry…. Exterminated. Damn daleks.

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago
Reply to  Barry Larking

Yes, thanks for the reminder. When reacting to current events, one can yield unfairly to stereotyping all. There is a class w/in Russian society that understands and detests Putin’s policies, but has no credible means of resistance. That is why, despite significant counter arguments, a majority of Americans support the concept, if not full context, of US Constitution’s 2nd amendment (right to bear arms)

The same general case can be made re Iran.

Jonathan
Jonathan
1 year ago
Reply to  FormerUSAF

The second amendment is really interesting and I’ve had some interesting discussions with some Americans around it. It’s something that is profoundly different between our two cultures and literally people in the the UK find it difficult to grasp the context of the US discussion, Because we have no specific cultural bias around the right of citizens to arm themselves we can only really look at gun laws in a the potential they can cause vs their use as tools or sports equipment. Which is why the have such strict gun laws. Trying to wrap our heads around another dimension… Read more »

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonathan

Understood. Issue is complex, multifaceted. Canadians and Australians have changed laws relatively recently in response to traumatic incidents. Swiss and Israelis have not, to my knowledge.

Jonathan
Jonathan
1 year ago
Reply to  FormerUSAF

Interestingly Finland which has the same level of gun ownership as the US does not suffer with endemic gun deaths. Even though as a society it’s got a lot of issues with violent crime it tends to be like the UK physical violence not the US gun violence. It may be something around the fact Finland has universal conscription to go with its lax gun laws, so although the population has a lot of guns they all have the training to respect and manage them. This may be something that the US needs to consider…universal access to guns but with… Read more »

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonathan

Believe Israelis and Swiss also have universal (or nearly universal) conscription.

You may well have noted a true case of cause and effect, rather than simple correlation. 🤔😳
.

Monkey spanker
Monkey spanker
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonathan

I’ve got a fix for the 2nd amendment. Every citizen has the right to bear arms as the arms were at the time it was written. So muskets and flint lock pistols only. 😀😀

Jonathan
Jonathan
1 year ago
Reply to  Monkey spanker

In all seriousness you have you wrapped up the context of the issue pretty well..mass murder with a flint lock or matchlock muzzle loader is not really on the cards. I’m not sure they would have ever written the second amendment If they could have conceived of an assault rifle.

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago
Reply to  Barry Larking

Sorry, forgot to agree w/ your point before launching on my own tangent, let’s consider it a premature senior moment…🤔😳🙄

Sean
Sean
1 year ago

Well working warships have combustible items onboard, like fuel etc… whereas a rusting empty hulk has far less 🤷🏻‍♂️

David Steeper
1 year ago

If there’s a more apt metaphor for the Russian military than the Admiral Kuznetsov I can’t think of one.

DH
DH
1 year ago
Reply to  David Steeper

and there was me thinking (dangerous I know) that shit didn’t burn. Nice to be wrong sometimes, eh? 🎄😉

Jonathan
Jonathan
1 year ago
Reply to  DH

Shit burns very well, ask most of the third world. Dried shit is a great fuel for fires.

DH
DH
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonathan

Jonathan, me ol’bucket. I was having larf. And the same shit does not burn twice! Without accelerate added. Try it. 🎄😉😁👍

Jonathan
Jonathan
1 year ago
Reply to  DH

😂 never mix shit and accelerant DH, it gets messy.

DH
DH
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonathan

Yesss, but the end result has a different piquant to the meal. 🍴😉

Jacko
Jacko
1 year ago

It was a smoke screen to hide it leaving port but alas it broke down again!

Jon
Jon
1 year ago

Well, it gets cold in December in Murmask.

JamesD
JamesD
1 year ago

No worries John in Milton Keynski will let us know when it’s safely back in port I’m sure

Barry Larking
Barry Larking
1 year ago
Reply to  JamesD

JohninMK!? Where is ‘they’? ‘It wasn’t a fire, it was a drill.’

Reading the exchanges between the Kremlin stooge and Airborne was the highlight of 2022 for me; rarely laughed more. Bless the people of Ukraine and best wishes to one and all. 👍

Airborne
Airborne
1 year ago

Oh dear, how sad, never mind!

Barry Larking
Barry Larking
1 year ago
Reply to  Airborne

Tellingly you omitted ‘ … moving on.’ I doubt this piece of junk will make it across the Barents Sea. Best wishes. 👍

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago
Reply to  Airborne

😁

Coll
Coll
1 year ago

So, there’s now been two fires and damage to the flight deck from a toppled crane while on a floating dry dock that sank. Nope, not funny at all.

Ianb
Ianb
1 year ago

I think the Chinese will end up flogging their copies of this one to the Russians as the high ski jump theirs have don’t work well with their fighters. They want to have their Nimitz copies as their at sea carriers instead. Ivan will be better off braking that one up for paper clips.

Steve
Steve
1 year ago

I am curious to know at what point Russia stopped being a real threat. Going back to end of ww2 the allies overestimated russian force size which resulted in Poland etc being occupied. That overestimation has clearly been the case in recent history as Ukraine has showed. But was there a point when it wasn’t the case or has Russia through out the cold war been misunderstood in regards to military capability.

Jon
Jon
1 year ago
Reply to  Steve

They weren’t just Russia during the Cold War. Both sides in the current conflict were part of the Soviet Union along with many other countries, which was in turn part of the Warsaw Pact with most of Eastern Europe.

A different beast to Putin’s kleptocracy.

Last edited 1 year ago by Jon
Mr Bell
Mr Bell
1 year ago
Reply to  Steve

Russia at the end of WW2 was a dangerous beast. They had mobilised around a 3rd of their population into their armed forces. Army 20-25 million. Air force 2-3 million. Navy/Marines around 650,000. The allies had witnessed this force grind down the Axis forces on the Eastern front. Some 360+ divisions had been engaged and defeated over 3.5 years of conflict. Not surprisingly the allies didn’t like the idea of facing that army. The modern Russian forces are completely different. Their ability to conduct combined arms warfare is fortunately non existent. The only similarity between WW2 Russians and now is… Read more »

Monkey spanker
Monkey spanker
1 year ago

It’s probably on purpose as someone spent half the original refit money on a mansion and the job couldn’t be finished. Just a bit more cash please.

BigH1979
BigH1979
1 year ago

Ahh the Russians now trying to copy our tactics from the Spanish Armada days?? 🔥🔥🔥

DH
DH
1 year ago
Reply to  BigH1979

Hahaha like it.
👍

Quentin D63
Quentin D63
1 year ago

While Russian’s faff around with their carrier may everyone on UKDJ have a Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year! May 🇺🇦 have a marvellous victory in 2023 and get their country back! 🇬🇧 🇦🇺 🇺🇦 and the rest of the free 🗺.

DH
DH
1 year ago
Reply to  Quentin D63

Seconded👍

dc647
dc647
1 year ago

Hopefully it might catch fire while at sea, but hope all the sailors get off OK.

Knight7572
Knight7572
1 year ago

The Russians should end this no longer funny farce and just pull the Kuznetzov from service and sell her for scrap metal as that is really all she is good for, they’ll need her metal to help rebuild infrastructure they destroyed

geoff.Roach
geoff.Roach
1 year ago

According to Mr. Putin and the Russian free press the ship is ready for sea and if to carry out a devastating strike mission ( probably hit the tug) somewhere off the Crimea in the next few days. “Stories in the western press are all untrue” said a spokesman from Siberia.🕵

Andrew D
Andrew D
1 year ago

Indian bone yard job. 🤗

Chris
Chris
1 year ago

You can’t help but laugh at the continued ineptitude of the Russian Navy, Russian Military and Russian State in general.

I’m glad no sailors were harmed though.

FormerUSAF
FormerUSAF
1 year ago
Reply to  Chris

Unfortunately, Russians have exhibited a capability for resiliency throughout recent history. Eventually they may stumble into the correct military leadership, combined w/ rearmament program and conscription. USSR military performance in WWII was pathetic initially… Now they come armed w/ nukes…

Jonathan
Jonathan
1 year ago

Fingers crossed it will end up being gutted by fire, anything too humiliate that mad bastard and maybe just weaken his grip a little more. although he would just end up blaming nazi sabotage backed by the western powers and unfortunately the Russian population would suck it up.

Last edited 1 year ago by Jonathan
DH
DH
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonathan

Jonathan, have you ever been to sea? Involved in a major fire, along side, and at sea, with loss of life?
🤔

Jonathan
Jonathan
1 year ago
Reply to  DH

It’s not at sea it’s at port and if it burns in port all the better. I specifically did not say anything about crew etc. Yes I’ve been to sea and I know my way around a boat. I’ve also seen and managed more death than most people can get their head around including the drowned and burnt to death. I’ve sucked the black tar out of a persons airway and been awash in seawater as I’ve tried to resuscitate drowning victims. Fundamentally it’s a weapon of war that can bring mass destruction to a lot of innocents and its… Read more »

DH
DH
1 year ago
Reply to  Jonathan

Jonathan, thanks for your honesty. I do appreciate your candour. I too have a similar background, and in 25yrs in the RN, well, you could write a book. Anyhoo have a good Christmas and a great New year 🎄👍

Jonathan
Jonathan
1 year ago
Reply to  DH

Indeed happy Christmas and have a good new year. Hopefully 2023 will bring a better year for all.

Roy
Roy
1 year ago

This is a nice Christmas present the many who see the Russians as both incompetent and totally unable even to defeat a third rank power and yet … somehow .. also as a major conventional military threat.

DJ
DJ
1 year ago
Reply to  Roy

One of the problems when looking at the Russian military re Ukraine & then deciding they are all like that, is how much have they held back in case NATO moves. It’s a bit like looking at the Vietnam war & US military. The US never fully engaged in Vietnam. But they still spent a fortune in money & blood. I see many similarities.

Roy
Roy
1 year ago
Reply to  DJ

I think most analysis suggests that they have held almost nothing back in terms of their ground forces and that their losses among their best units have been very high. They are mobilizing considerable manpower now, but it is not clear how well these new units will be equipped. But it is on Ukraine that Russia is now focusing all of its resources. All in all, what the evidence of the war seems to confirm is that Russia cannot be regarded as a conventional military threat to the West. They have been unable to defeat a third rate military power… Read more »

Chris.
Chris.
1 year ago

If the Ukrainian’s really wanted to put Kuznetsov out of action! Then they should sink it’s tugs.

David Steeper
1 year ago
Reply to  Chris.

😂😂

Watcherzero
Watcherzero
1 year ago

Fire has broken out today on USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer, while portside. Six sailors taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.

Aaron L
Aaron L
1 year ago

Seems a lot of things in Russia are catching fire recently… Warehouses, factories and now an aircraft carrier.