On January 23, 2025, an incident occurred off the coast of Syria involving the Russian intelligence ship Kildin. The vessel, equipped with modern intelligence equipment, temporarily lost control. This was reported by the Associated Press, citing audio and video recordings received from the military of one of the NATO countries whose vessel was nearby at the time of the incident.

According to the audio recording, a crew member of the Kildin reported on the radio:

"Warship on your course. I am drifting. I am not under control."

Despite an offer of assistance from a nearby NATO vessel, the Russian crew did not respond and dealt with the situation on their own. The fire reportedly lasted for at least four hours; the crew prepared lifeboats but did not launch them. The Kildin is currently gathering intelligence off the Syrian port of Tartus, accompanied by a frigate and a supply vessel.

The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The Kremlin has not commented on the incident, and Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said he was not aware of the fire on board the Kildin and declined to discuss the ship's activities. He also noted that it is incorrect to assess the state of the Russian fleet based on one incident.

Kildin is a medium-sized reconnaissance ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, built in 1969 in Poland. It initially served in the Northern Fleet, and in 1977 was transferred to the Black Sea Fleet, based in Sevastopol. The ship's crew consists of 85 people.