The heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov" or simply Admiral Kuznetsov is the only ship of Project 1143.5 in service with the Russian Navy. The aircraft carrier was built in Nikolaev (Ukraine), and there, in 1987, it was launched. The ship received its name only in 1990, and before that it was known as “Riga” and “Tbilisi”. The main task of an aircraft carrier is to support landing operations. The ship, 305 meters long and 75 meters wide, can accommodate 28 aircraft and 24 helicopters.
What happened to the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov in Syria
Despite the fact that the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov has been in the service of the Navy for more than 25 years, it was remembered only in 2016, when the media learned about the ship’s possible participation in the operation in Syria.
Since the aircraft carrier is part of the Northern Fleet, in order to get to the Mediterranean Sea, it had to go around the whole of Europe. The campaign began on October 15 and lasted a little more than 14 days. The route of the ship group, the flagship of which was Admiral Kuznetsov, ran past NATO countries, so it is not surprising that its movements were closely monitored.
The sabotage on the Kuznetsov turned out to be successful...
There was a fire on the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser of the Northern Fleet "Admiral Kuznetsov", during which a person died, and the damage is estimated at tens of millions of rubles and repairs were extended for at least six months
In any case, it was sabotage
– one of the marine specialists who understands their business decisively answered Tsargrad’s question about the possibility of such an option.
And the question, we admit, was natural. According to reports from Murmansk, here on the heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov, which is being repaired near the wall of the 35th ship repair facility, a rather significant and very unpleasant fire occurred. The progress of its liquidation was reported until late at night. Although, according to the President of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) Alexei Rakhmanov, the fire was localized, and this was said at around 3 p.m. Data on the victims vary, but there are at least 12 people. One person, a contract sailor, was killed, another, a survivability officer, is listed, according to the latest reports, as missing.
Fire on the cruiser "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov". Photo: vk.com / murmanskgroup / Globallookpress
The cause of the fire is the human factor
The head of USC, which structurally includes Zvezdochka, called the “human factor” the cause of the incident. According to how news agencies reported his words, the cause of the fire was that during welding work in the first power compartment of the ship, “scale occurred on the lower decks.” And there were dismantled equipment and remains of flammable liquids. This, as the reports called it, “garbage”, caught fire.
Further, news agency sources suggested that as a result of this, a cable laid across different compartments and decks of the ship caught fire, which complicated fire extinguishing. An additional problematic factor was that the cable was allegedly fusible and flammable.
It is possible that there is at least some truth in these reports, since during the day there were reports of an increase in the burning area from the initial 20 square meters. meters up to 120, 400 and even 600 sq. meters. Although, of course, a cable made of flammable materials is something that makes you chuckle skeptically.
However, Kuznetsov was laid down back in 1982, and in those years anything could have happened. In any case, no one in the navy considered the ship a model of reliability. There were breakdowns on it, including even such unpleasant ones as the failure of the arresting gear, which even caused the loss of the aircraft. And this happened at the most inopportune moment - when “Kuzya” was called upon to test itself during a combat operation, and at the same time demonstrate the power of Russian weapons in Syria in 2016. And regular repairs in 2001-2004, then in 2008 and 2015 speak for themselves.
Fire on the cruiser "Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union Kuznetsov". Photo: vk.com/dtpmurman
Be that as it may, there is a violation of safety regulations when carrying out welding work. The sailors with whom Tsargrad spoke on this topic noted that the current regulations require the removal of all flammable materials, not to mention “oily rags” - which, as they say, caused everything to catch fire - before starting welding work. What can we talk about when even a responsible Tajik cuts a piece of iron at his dacha with a grinder, blocking the sparks with a sheet of metal!
What to expect next
There's nothing good about it anyway
- answered Tsargrad to the question of how to assess what happened and what to expect next, one of the maritime specialists who have repeatedly proven their competence.
It is still difficult to judge what really happened without being at the scene, he emphasized, but a fire on a ship is always a misfortune. And almost always - a sign of someone’s incompetence or sloppiness. And if the ship is as old as the Admiral Kuznetsov, care when carrying out flammable work on it should be of the highest standard.
Be that as it may, there is a violation of safety regulations when carrying out welding work. Photo: Karl-Heinz Spremberg / Globallookpress
On the other hand, the interlocutor noted, there is no particular sensationalism in such an incident. Similar incidents occur in all countries and in all fleets.
Yes, that very human factor,” the expert threw up his hands. – Always was, always will be.
It is in this sense that another interlocutor of Constantinople called what happened sabotage.
Yes, in the canonical sense, sabotage refers to the purposeful action of enemy agents aimed at causing harm to enemy targets,” he agreed. – But if we talk not according to the canon, but on the merits, then what difference does it make in principle who set fire to the ship - someone else’s saboteur or his own slob? With, if we speak in the old days, the objectively responsible assistance of those who were supposed to control the provision and conduct of repair work. And what difference does it make whether it was done intentionally or due to a child’s clarity of consciousness, if the losses amount to millions, and the repair time will clearly go to the right?
However, the representative of Zvezdochka, as well as USC, are still assured that the deadline for completing the repairs of Admiral Kuznetsov - which is 2022 - will not change. And some sources claim that the equipment from the endangered compartments was dismantled before and was not damaged, and the burnt cable, they say, was still intended to be replaced with a newer and safer one.
Cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" Photo: Sergei Fokin / Shutterstock.com
How much to believe these words and assurances - everyone can decide for themselves. But in any case, we must take into account that after such emergencies, a dense fog of silences, understatements, blame shifting and cheerful assurances hides the true picture no less than the acrid smoke that swirled above the Kuzya and prevented a quick examination of the damaged compartments of the cruiser.
So far, there is nothing definite to talk about in terms of timing, price, etc. for completing the repairs,” a competent expert in the maritime industry emphasized in a conversation with Tsargrad. – While there is no full inspection of the damage, while there is no defect detection, in general, there is nothing to talk about. In any case, only one thing can be repeated: there is nothing good in this...
Price issue
At least one death is already an excessive price to pay for any accident. If it was a consequence of the “human factor,” then doubly so.
But also: the current contract for the repair of the Kuznetsov, which includes primarily the modernization of the ship’s power systems and weapons, is estimated in open sources at about 60-65 billion rubles. In any case, this figure is given in the competent publication Kommersant, and these data are not refuted by the sources of Constantinople. If so, then this is approximately equal to the price of three (!) fourth-generation strategic missile submarines (SSBNs) of the Borei class.
Not a bad price for a “safety violation”?
No, it is clear that the current fire will not completely disrupt the repairs of the Admiral Kuznetsov. It may well be that the repair work schedule will not even be pushed to the right. But the cost of the issue itself - not of this particular fire, but of the entire complex of work on an aircraft-carrying cruiser - should at least imply strict protection against sloppiness and irresponsibility. Comparable to defense at sea from an enemy aircraft carrier group.
Otherwise, really, what is the objective difference from sabotage or being hit by an enemy anti-ship missile?
Accident of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov on a floating dock in Murmansk
It took Moscow 2 years to build up, and in April 2022 the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the repair of the ship at a cost of 60 billion rubles. At the April exchange rate, this amounted to approximately $1 billion. Let me remind you that the cost of the new French universal ship of the Mistral type is $1.1 billion. It was these ships that Russia planned to acquire before the annexation of Crimea.
Immediately after this, the aircraft carrier disappeared from media radars until the floating dock 50 sank on October 30. The dock, which belonged to the 82nd ship repair plant in Murmansk, was considered one of the largest shipbuilding structures in the world - according to official documentation, its length was as much as 330 meters and its width - all 80. At one time, the notorious floating dock-50, now resting on depth of more than 30 meters, was ordered from Sweden, which completed assembly only in 1980.
What caused the accident is still unclear. According to the first version, the dock was damaged when the aircraft carrier left it. During this maneuver, two tower cranes fell from the dock structures, one of which landed on the ship. Later, the media reported that the cause of the accident could have been a break in icy wires, due to which the dock was de-energized. The air tanks that supported the dock filled with water, and the structure began to submerge.
The government confirmed the death of one of the workers, three more who fell from the dock were in intensive care. In total, at least 70 people were evacuated from PD-50.
Kilometers of ship corridors
The Kremlin commented on the emergency with the floating dock in Murmansk
Military sailors and industry representatives continue to inspect the Admiral Kuznetsov TAVKR for damage after the accident of the PD-50 floating dock. To get an accurate picture of the cruiser’s condition, they examine the interior over a total length of several tens of kilometers. In addition, the commission to investigate the causes of the incident will have to answer three main questions, the main one of which is what happened to the backup power supply systems of the floating dock.
It was initially reported that the cause of the emergency was a power failure from the city network. But later they said that there were no outages on Tuesday night, and the networks supplying the plant’s substation were operating normally.
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Floating dock PD-50
Photo: wikimapia.org
A criminal case was opened following an emergency with a floating dock in Murmansk
Divers from the Northern Fleet emergency rescue service and underwater drones were involved in the work. According to Izvestia’s source at the Navy High Command, divers have already inspected the underwater part of the Admiral Kuznetsov. During an unplanned launch, he received several blows. Some of them fell below the waterline. According to preliminary data, there was no serious damage on the outside. Now we need to understand whether there was any damage inside the ship. Therefore, the team will have to inspect all the decks around the perimeter. The process will be especially difficult on the lower decks. There are storage facilities, places to accommodate personnel and weapons and technical equipment of the Marine Corps. Many rooms on these decks are sealed and have not been opened since Soviet times.
According to the preliminary version, the cause of the accident was a failure of on-board electrical equipment. According to the former Chief of the Main Staff of the Navy, Admiral Valentin Selivanov, when the floating dock and ship are near the shore, they are powered by the city network. But the dock also has its own diesel electric generators. And during such energy-intensive and responsible activities as diving and ascent, your energy sources must also be used. They must be on standby in case of power outages from the shore. Why they did not work is the main question that the commission will have to figure out.
One person disappeared after an emergency with a floating dock in Murmansk
“It is necessary to find out what happened to the backup diesel electric generators,” Valentin Selivanov explained to Izvestia. “Their capacity is sufficient for the dock to be completely autonomous. Energy is connected from the shore to save the engine life of diesel generators. But during the dive and ascent of the dock, they must work or at least be ready.
Where is the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov now?
Later, a representative of the United Shipbuilding Corporation reported that the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov received damage, namely a hole 4 by 5 meters. The official said that since we are talking about repairing metal structures, this is a standard job that welders can handle in a week.
Now the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is at its regular berth in the dock of the 35th ship repair plant in Murmansk. Whether it is possible to repair the hole caused by the accident there is unknown, but there can now be no talk of any modernization or major repairs without a floating dock.
Vessel architecture
The cruiser "Admiral Kuznetsov" differs significantly from its predecessors of Project 1143. Its through flight deck with a heat-resistant coating, a springboard in the bow, and on-board aircraft lifts create all the conditions for takeoff and landing of fighter aircraft. The hull with 7 decks and 2 platforms is made using welded technology. The bottom is strong, double, located along the entire length of the aircraft carrier. The hangar consists of 4 compartments separated by partitions made of fire-resistant steel. Aviation transportation systems – semi-automatic. Airplanes move and are located in the hangar with their wing consoles folded, and helicopters with their rotor blades folded. The aircraft repair area is located at the stern. The Project 1143.5 ship was the first in domestic shipbuilding to use underwater structural protection. The part of the hull located above the water is made using shielding technology. The appearance that the cruiser Admiral Kuznetsov received corresponds to a standard aircraft carrier ship with a solid deck for landing and takeoff of aircraft. The island superstructure is slightly shifted to the starboard side. This improves the ability to accept aircraft and the maneuverability of the vessel.
Flagship of the Russian Navy
Project assessment and prospects
The aircraft carrier has long been popularly nicknamed “Kuzey”, and, despite constant repair work, “Kuzya” has gained quite a good reputation.
The aircraft cruiser became the first of its kind in the fleet of the Soviet Union, and then the Russian Navy. This is the first ship that was able to take off and provide takeoff for conventional aircraft. However, the presence of a take-off springboard opens only one direction for aircraft to take off, which is the main disadvantage of the cruiser.
The cruiser's capabilities were greatly reduced by funding problems during the collapse of the Soviet Union, as a result of which helicopters and fighters were not produced to fully unleash the full technical potential of the air cruiser.
In general, today it is a combat ship that is fully ready for service, which continues to be modernized. It is the only one of its kind, and there are no plans to build more similar aircraft carrier cruisers.
According to critics, the fate of the ship could have turned out differently if at one time the designer had not drawn attention to this project and had not taken responsibility for its implementation. It was thanks to Belov L.V. The Russian fleet has been replenished with such a heavy aircraft-carrying cruiser. However, today the question of the flagship’s prospects depends on the financing and modernization of the ship.
