Fire Breaks Out Aboard Icebreaker Admiral Makarov at Kronstadt Marine Plant

A fire broke out aboard the diesel-electric icebreaker Admiral Makarov at the Kronstadt Marine Plant, where the vessel is undergoing repairs.

The Telegram channel 112 reported the incident.

According to the channel, the fire started in the steering-gear compartment, which houses components controlling the rudder drive. The area affected by the fire was initially estimated at 100 square meters.

A total of 52 emergency responders and 10 pieces of equipment were involved in extinguishing the fire. Within two hours, firefighters contained the blaze and extinguished the open flames. According to preliminary reports, there were no casualties.

pic.twitter.com/WbNnarWY76

— dimdim (@dimdim518484) September 5, 2026

The cause of the fire and the extent of damage to the icebreaker are currently unknown.

Icebreaker Admiral Makarov

Admiral Makarov is a large Project R-1039 diesel-electric icebreaker built in 1975 at the Wärtsilä shipyard in Helsinki.

The vessel belongs to the Ermak-class series of icebreakers built in Finland for the Soviet Union. Its primary purpose is to escort transport vessels through challenging ice conditions.

Key technical specifications of the Admiral Makarov:

• Displacement: approximately 20,247 tonnes
• Length: 134.84 meters
• Beam: 26.05 meters
• Draft: up to 11 meters
• Maximum speed: approximately 19.5–20 knots
• Power plant output: approximately 30.5 MW
• Crew: 58
• Fuel endurance: up to three months
• Icebreaking capability: up to 1.5 meters of level ice at a speed of approximately 2 knots

For many years, Admiral Makarov operated in the Russian Far East and was later deployed for operations in the Arctic. In late 2025, the vessel was transferred to the North-Western Basin Branch of Rosmorport.

Following completion of its repairs, the icebreaker was planned to escort vessels to Russian ports in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland during the winter navigation season.

In spring 2025, the vessel was placed in dry dock for repairs to its hull, propellers, and three propeller shafts. Separately, repairs to the icebreaker’s main engines are also underway, with completion planned by the end of 2026.

On the morning of June 3, Ukrainian drones struck the Russian Project 20380 Boikiy-class missile corvette at Kronstadt Naval Base. The attack sparked a large-scale fire aboard the vessel. According to assessments, the nature and extent of the damage indicate that the ship is beyond repair.