A Russian spy ship named Kildin caught fire while on a mission to gather intelligence off the Syrian coast on January 23 of this year, sources report.
The Kildin ship is 55 years old and operates within Russia's shadow fleet of spy ships, which concerns NATO in the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea.
Just before the fire broke out, the Russian ship was operating at a short distance from a naval exercise of the Turkish Navy. The news was revealed by NATO officials to the AP news agency.
Suddenly, a fire broke out inside the Kildin, which was contained four hours later. The crew was put on emergency alert and prepared lifeboats, but they never launched them into the sea because the fire was extinguished.
After the fire, the ship temporarily lost its ability to "turn" at sea, but the problem was resolved shortly after, and the Russian sailors regained full control of the ship.
NATO sources suggest that the Kildin remains off the Syrian port of Tartus, continuing its mission to gather data. The spy ship is accompanied by a frigate and a support vessel from the Russian Navy.
When asked about the incident, the Russian president's spokesperson, Vladimir Putin, said he was unaware of the fire on the Kildin and therefore did not comment on the event.
The cause of the fire inside the ship remains unknown.
Listen to the audio recordings here.
