Russia's only aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov catches fire in port; 2 injured

Russia's only aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov caught fire in the  Arctic port in Murmansk injuring at least two soldiers, reports said.

The aircraft carrier which is the flagship of the Russian navy was involved in action during the Syria campaign in support of President Bashar al-Assad. It reportedly caught fire during maintenance work. TASS news agency said the blaze had started on the upper deck which was later brought under control.

A probe is due to be ordered on the fire. Reports said at least 400 people were on board when the fire started.

Admiral Kuznetsov was brought into service in 1995 and was deployed to the Mediterranean in 2016 and participated in Syri war in 2017.

The carrier famously hit the headlines after Britain's ex-defence minister Michael Fallon dubbed it the "ship of shame" for its role in the Syria conflict.

Admiral Kuznetsov has seen several mishaps. A Sukhoi jet had earlier crashed into the sea after it tried to land on the carrier. Last year, a crane had fallen into the ship's deck leading to the death of one worker even as repairs and upgrades costs have repeatedly hampered its performance.