Government commission leaves only one version of submarine Kursk's sinking: explosion of a torpedo

The government commission investigating the causes of the sinking of the nuclear-powered submarine Kursk has left only one version of the tragedy.

Ilya Klebanov, Minister of Industry, Science and Technologies of Russia who heads the commission, told journalists after the commission met at the Rubin Central Design Bureau that the only version left was that of the explosion of a torpedo.

According to Klebanov, the commission had cast away the version of the Kursk's collision and it having hit a mine.

The nuclear-powered submarine Kursk sank in August 2000 during exercises in the Barents Sea.

Klebanov noted that, to all appearances, today's meeting of the commission was the one before last, with the last one scheduled for June 29.

It has now been decided to prepare an act (on the causes of the accident) that would be published on June 29 following the commission's last meeting, said Klebanov.

The participants in today's meeting discussed the question of continuing the work in the Barents Sea. The members of the commission were unanimous in that "nothing more should be raised" and requested the command of the Navy that the operation in the Barents Sea be stopped.

Klebanov noted that the raised fragments had already been examined -- five of them at the Rubin Central Design Bureau (where the submarine was designed) and one (part of the fairing) was examined in Severomorsk (the Northern Fleet's base on the Kola Peninsula). The latter will not be brought to St. Petersburg.

Klebanov also said that the results of the work of the Speech Technology Centre (St. Petersburg) which decoded the tapes from the Kursk, have not shed any additional light on the causes of the accident.

The destiny of the fragments of the first compartment that remained at the bottom of the Barents Sea will be decided at the commission's meeting on June 29, when the corresponding proposals from the Navy will be received, said Klebanov.