The Kursk submarine fragments annihilated on the bottom of Barents Sea - 21 September, 2002 - News

The only question is: were that really the remains of the first compartment or ammunition?

According to a source in the Russian Navy Main Staff, one of these days, a unique operation was carried out: after the Kursk submarine itself was lifted, the fragments of the submarine first compartment remaining on the sea bottom were blown up.

This time, the Main Staff official preferred to remain anonymous. After several telephone conversations he finally called the reason of this “conspiracy” (which looked a bit odd after a long information cooperation): the Navy leadership still does not know how to react to the article published once by PRAVDA.Ru, which was devoted to the reasons of the Kursk submarine wreck: Russian scientists proposed their version of the tragedy. The conclusion made by them was: the reason of the Kursk wreck was the collision with a foreign submarine. It is curious that as this printed publication got to the Navy staffs, it was at once almost classified… So, I am glad to know that PRAVDA.Ru publications have such a great resonance among Navy specialists.

So far, our source in the Main Staff reported that after the fragments of the first compartment had been blown up, from the rescue boat Altay, underwater TV equipment had been lowered to investigate the bottom.

As the results of this investigation are ready, a decision about further activities of the fleet will be made. Repeated explosion is not excluded: something was not annihilated in the first explosion. Though, this piece of information of our source was not confirmed by other officials of the Main Staff, who say literally the following: “Information of some mass media about annihilation of the first compartment fragments as if remaining on sea bottom is not authentic.”

This unexpected closeness of information after the last-year broadcasting to the whole world all the details of the Kursk lifting makes seriously think. So, from discrepant reports of the “official” Main Staff, journalists made their conclusion: instead of the first compartment fragments, a part of the foreign submarine ammunition was annihilated, which still remained on sea bottom. Was it really so? This question will be probably answered in some time…

Vitaly Bratkov PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/09/21/47400.html