Kursk salvage expedition scouts floor of the Barents Sea

The Special Task Expedition responsible for salvage of the first compartment of the nuclear submarine Kursk has begun scouting the floor of the Barents Sea, Igor Dygalo, the assistant to the Navy Commander-in-Chief, reported on Friday. Last night, two vessels of the Special Task Expedition -- the rescue tug Altai and the ship Mikhail Rudnitsky -- were secured to buoys, he said.

The vessels in question are busy exploring the sea floor and the debris of the first compartment. As soon as the scouting is over, the expedition will set about to raise the fragments of Kursk's first compartment, added Dygalo.

What with the weather in the area being favourable, the operation may be over in the next few days, assumes the Northern Fleet headquarters.