Russia’s only aircraft carrier damaged after ‘floating dock’ sinks
- Moscow said ship’s hull and deck had been damaged but defence official said vessel’s vitally important parts were not harmed
Russia’s only aircraft carrier was damaged while being repaired in the north of the country after the floating dock holding it sank early on Tuesday and a crane crashed onto its deck.
The Admiral Kuznetsov has seen action in Russia’s military campaign in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad with its planes carrying out air strikes against rebel forces.
It was being overhauled on one of the world’s biggest floating docks in the icy waters of the Kola Bay near Murmansk close to where Russia’s Northern Fleet is based and was due to go back into service in 2021.
Maria Kovtun, Murmansk’s governor, said in a statement that a rescue operation had been launched and 71 people evacuated after the floating dock holding the ship began to sink.
The warship had been successfully extracted from the dock before it completely sank, she said.