Former Soviet Aircraft Carrier Catches Fire During Renovation in China

A former Soviet aircraft carrier, the Minsk, caught fire over the weekend while undergoing renovations in a lagoon near Shanghai, China. The blaze, which broke out on Friday afternoon, raged for about 24 hours before being extinguished, leaving extensive damage to the ship. The Minsk, once a formidable part of the Soviet Pacific Fleet, had been converted into a Chinese tourist attraction and was anchored in Nantong, Jiangsu province, for the past eight years.

The carrier was in the process of being refurbished to become the centerpiece of a military theme park when the fire erupted. Images circulating on social media depicted thick smoke and flames engulfing the deck, with later photos revealing significant damage to the ship’s superstructure and charred metal along its side. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported, and authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire.

The Minsk, built between 1970 and 1987 as one of four Kiev-class aircraft carriers by the Soviet Union, was a key asset of the Soviet Pacific Fleet until the Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991. After being decommissioned in 1993, the ship was sold to a South Korean company for scrap. However, environmental concerns in South Korea led to the Minsk being sold to a Chinese company, eventually finding a new life as a tourist attraction at the Minsk World theme park in Shenzhen, which operated from 2000 until its closure in 2016 due to financial difficulties.

The recent fire has cast doubt on the future of the Minsk as a tourist attraction, with officials expressing uncertainty about the project’s prospects following the extensive damage. The ship’s history as part of the once-mighty Soviet fleet, coupled with its journey from a warship to a theme park centerpiece, highlights the complex legacy of decommissioned military vessels.

Of the four Kiev-class carriers constructed by the Soviets, only the last one, the Baku, remains in service today. After being sold to India in 2004, it was refurbished and commissioned into the Indian Navy as the INS Vikramaditya in 2013, where it now serves as the navy’s flagship. The fate of the Minsk and its future as a tourist attraction remains uncertain in the wake of this recent disaster.