Operation to raise first compartment of the Kursk may begin Wednesday

Should the weather in the Barents Sea improve, the operation to raise the fragments of the first compartment of the nuclear submarine Kursk may begin on Wednesday.

According to Igor Dygalo, the assistant to the Navy Commander-in-Chief, the sea in the Kursk disaster area remains moderate, with the wind force reaching 15 mps. All this may hamper the beginning of the operation. However, meteorologists promise better weather conditions for Wednesday.

By now, the ship Kil-164 is ready to depart for the Kursk disaster area. It will leave immediately as soon as the weather improves.

The Kil-164 is expected to spend two days in the disaster area mounting the floating equipment that is necessary to place a vessel straight above the remains of the first compartment.

Some time later, the Kil-164 will be joined by the rescue ship Mikhail Rudnitsky and the salvage tug Altai, who will raise only those fragments of the first compartment that are wanted by the General Prosecutor's Office. The fragments in question are a high-pressure air bottle and a fraction of the torpedo tube, which will be used to make a final conclusion about what caused the Kursk disaster. The remaining fragments of the Kursk will be blown up right on the sea floor. After that, the site will be carefully examined.