In a case that drew intense scrutiny, the Murmansk garrison military court concluded that a blaze aboard the only aircraft carrier in Russia, the Admiral Kuznetsov, during repairs at the Zvezdochka shipyard in 2019, originated from welding activity. The court asserted that sparks and scale from the welding source ignited a broader sequence of events on the carrier. The findings were reported by Kommersant, which cited the court chief Vladimir Titarenko as the information source for these conclusions.
According to the publication, the ignition began when sparks and flakes drifted through cavities and openings in the platform floor. These fragments descended into the underdeck area of the cruiser, where a rag soaked in fuel oil lay unsecured. The combination of the rag and accumulated fuel created a flare that rapidly spread. The flames then jumped to nearby cables, and within about thirty minutes, the fire intensified as it was carried by the air currents along lower decks. The fire progressed through corridors and vertical shafts that housed communication routes, pushing the blaze deeper into the ship’s internal structure. The crew did not immediately detect the danger, and extinguishing efforts commenced only after thick, choking smoke began to fill compartments, complicating early firefighting actions.
The court quantified the consequences of the incident, noting that the total damage reached 607 million rubles. The fire destroyed several hundred kilometers of power cables and took out the entire electrical distribution system on the cruiser, dealing a substantial blow to the ship’s operational capabilities and readiness. The scale of the loss underscored the fragility of critical electrical infrastructure aboard a purpose-built frontline warship undergoing repairs during a period of technical maintenance.
The fire on December 12, 2019, marked a dramatic moment in the carrier’s history. It spread quickly, expanding from an initial 20 square meters to an area of 600 square meters within a short span. Fire brigades from multiple units, totaling at least 12 separate departments, battled the blaze for roughly a day before it was brought under control. The emergency compartment was effectively flooded as firefighting efforts attempted to suppress the flames and prevent further damage. The incident claimed lives, including one sailor and a survival service officer, and left more than ten personnel injured. The magnitude of the casualty figure reflected the challenging conditions encountered inside a large, densely connected warship during a high-risk repair operation.
Authorities later proceeded with a court-martial process in Murmansk as part of the ongoing legal review related to the fire on the Admiral Kuznetsov. The proceedings focused on establishing the sequence of events, the responsibilities of personnel involved in the repair work, and the adequacy of safety measures in place at the shipyard during the incident. The case drew attention to the broader issues of maintenance practices for high-value naval assets and the measures necessary to prevent similar incidents in the future. Analysts and defense observers examined the findings to assess implications for naval safety protocols, preventive procedures, and the integration of fire protection systems across Russia’s most advanced surface fleet vessel.