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NATO obtained radio conversation during the fire

An audio of the radio broadcast of the 'Kildin' on Jan 23 has now been obtained. The audio gathered by the NATO ship is a 75-second radio exchange between the 'Kildin' and the Togo-flagged cargo m/v 'Milla Moon'. A second tape of conversations between crew members aboard the NATO ship identified the exchange they just monitored between the 'Kildin' and the 'Milla Moon', which lifted anchor off Tartus and began sailing toward the end of the Syrian coast on Jan. 23. The 'Kildin' first identified itself as another ship, the 'Bóveda Celeste', and then asked to change channels to continue the conversation. After the switch, the man is heard in accented English identifying his vessel as a warship. “I am adrift. I am not under command,” the operator said. The 'Milla Moon' responded that it will plot a course away before signing off with, “You are welcome. Good watch. Goodbye.” The Russian intelligence vessel, drifted out of control off the Syrian coast, with flames and black fumes rising from the smokestack. The broadcast, as well as video and photos showing the blaze. were gathered by a ship from a NATO nation operating nearby. The audio provides a rare glimpse inside Russia's fleet of spy ships that NATO nations are watching closely due to concerns that Moscow could sabotage underwater cables and pipelines amid tensions over the war in Ukraine. Even though the 'Kildin' was in trouble, the secret ship did not respond to a request for help from the NATO ship. The 55-year-old Kildin gathers intelligence on NATO activities in the Mediterranean and had been operating near naval exercises by alliance member Turkey before the fire, which burned for at least four hours. The 'Kildin's crew removed the covers from the rafts, though they were not deployed. The 'Kildin' raised two black balls from its masts, a maritime signal that the ship can no longer steer. The crew eventually regained control, and the 'Kildin' is still stationed and collecting intelligence from the Syrian port of Tartus, accompanied by a frigate and a supply ship. It was not clear what caused the fire. The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was not aware of a fire aboard the 'Kildin' and would not say what the ship was doing at the time. He dismissed suggestions that it reflected poorly on Russian naval readiness. The retired Vice Admiral Michel Olhagaray, the former head of France’s Higher Military Studies Centre, said that even though the 'Kildin' regained command, the fire highlights Russia’s logistical difficulties in supporting naval forces in the Mediterranean, beyond its bases in the Arctic and Baltic Seas. Moscow cannot even use its fleet for Mediterranean patrols because during the Ukraine dispute Turkey does not allow the naval vessels to pass through the Bosphorus. The maintenance of this Russian fleet, particularly in the Mediterranean, was regarded as extraordinarily cumbersome. Report with photos and audio: https://apnews.com/article/russia-nato-spy-ship-audio-mediterranean-syria-2e6c4d6fa184d7333a3001344f2ea58c

Russian spy ship caught fire

The 'Kildin' caught fire and burned for several hours on Jan 23, 2025, off Syria’s Mediterranean coast near the port of Tartus. The crew hoisted two black spheres, signaling it was NUC, but declined assistance from other nearby Russian ships and told the Togolese-flagged cargo m/v 'Milla Moon', which was nearby, to keep its distance. Thick black smoke and flames were billowing funnel, indicating a possible engine-room fire. The blaze was contained after about five hours. French and other Western naval forces monitored the situation, ready to intervene, but Russia did not request aid. It was uncertain whether the 'Kildin' could continue its intelligence-gathering mission. The spy ship, which left a Baltic Sea base in the fall of 2024 and entered the Mediterranean in mid-November, had reportedly conducted surveillance near Spain, France, Italy, and more recently Turkey, before disappearing from radar on Dec 17, 2024. Report with photos: https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7785/Artykul/3475924,russian-spy-ship-catches-fire-off-syrian-coast-crew-declines-help