<body><div>Admiral Kuznetsov, the flagship of the Russian Navy and the country's only aircraft carrier, caught on fire Thursday, according to <a href="https://ria.ru/20221222/vozgoranie-1840482365.html">Russian state-media</a>.Why it matters: Accidents have marred the ship since it went under its ongoing overhaul in 2017. It had originally been <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russias-sole-aircraft-carrier-suffers-another-repair-delay-tass-2022-06-08/">due to return</a> to service in 2022.Flashback: In 2018, a floating dock used in the overhaul abruptly sank, causing a crane to punch a massive hole through the ship's flight deck.<ul><li>A separate fire broke out on the ship in 2019 from spilled fuel, killing two and injuring more than a dozen.</li></ul>What they're saying: Alexei Rakhmanov, head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation — which is overseeing the ship's refit — told Russian state-media Thursday the fire was "small" and was extinguished.<ul><li>"All the relevant fire systems worked normally. There was no damage and no casualties,” Rakhmanov said.</li></ul>The big picture: The ship, located in the 35th shipyard in Murmansk, Russia, is set to return to the fleet in the first quarter of 2024, barring any future delays.Go deeper: <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/12/22/us-north-korea-russia-wagner-mercenaries-ukraine">U.S. says North Korea supplying arms to Russian mercenary group in Ukraine</a></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Flagship of Russian Navy catches fire

Admiral Kuznetsov, the flagship of the Russian Navy and the country's only aircraft carrier, caught on fire Thursday, according to Russian state-media. Why it matters: Accidents have marred the ship since it went under its ongoing overhaul in 2017. It had originally been due to return to service in 2022.