#11
Komsomolskaya Pravda
June 20, 2002
NO MORE MYSTERY ABOUT KURSK SUBMARINE SINKING
Author: Viktor Baranets
Source: Komsomolskaya Pravda, June 20, 2002, p. 3
[from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html]

THE KURSK MYSTERY HAS BEEN SOLVED. ON JUNE 29, THE GOVERNMENT COMMISSION INTO THE SUBMARINE SINKING WILL PRESENT A REPORT ON THE EXAMINATION AND ITS RESULTS. HOWEVER, IT IS ALREADY KNOWN THAT THE SUBMARINE WAS DESTROYED BY THE DETONATION OF A 650-MILLIMETER TORPEDO ON BOARD.

There is no longer any Kursk mystery - and there never was

There is no more mystery about the Kursk submarine sinking. Because there never was.

Yesterday, the governmental commission confirmed the conclusions of our investigation: the submarine sank due to the explosion of a large torpedo on board.

Despite the fact that the official conclusion will be ready only by June 29, Ilia Klebanov, minister for industry, science, and technology, who chairs the commission, said yesterday in St. Petersburg that specialists have rejected two of the three original theories about the submarine's sinking - a collision wiht a World War II mine or some more contemporary vessel.

"Thus," emphasized Klebanov, "the commission settled on the theory which is presently the only valid one - explosion of a 650- millimeter torpedo."

The operation for raising the remaining fragments of the Kursk submarine from the bottom of the Barents Sea has been underway for nearly a month. Almost 40 tons of distorted metal has already been lifted to the surface. The rest is assumed to be destroyed with the help of precision underwater blasting. However, at the very end of the job, a media debate has suddenly arisen: they say "someone is hurrying to cover up the tracks". The statements of the Northern Fleet command that blowing up the submarine's last fragments is necessary for the safety of fishing vessels in the area was called "evasive". So what is really happening?

ADMIRAL EDUARD BALTIN

"The decision to destroy the rest of the Kursk submarine with blats is absolutely right. According to international standards, we must clear the territory and open it for shipping even if there is no explosive. But there is plenty of it from damaged torpedoes left at the bottom. As for the first compartment, there is actually nothing left of it. Only fragments which are not going to yield any evidence for the investigation of the causes of explosion on board the submarine. Therefore, exploding them is by no means hiding evidence.

Exploding the Kursk remnants must naturally be controlled and precision-targeted. As for "clearing" afterwards, it must be with bombs or string loads. Old 135-kg bombs efficient within 25 meters are thrown from a minesweeper at certain interval. At the bottom, they detonate destroying what might have remained. And only then, after a meticulous investigation of the ground, the area is opened to shipping. This is usual, longstanding practice".

LEONID TROSHIN, SPOKESMAN FOR THE PROSECUTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE:

Troshin: Conditions were created to ensure that all requirements of investigators would be fulfilled without any hesitation. If there is a decision that the fragments already raised are sufficient, this means it is primarily the investigators' decision.

Question: Was the view of the investigators taken into account when developing the plan for raising fragments of the first compartment?

Troshin: First and foremost. The investigators have all necessary information. And only a specialist can determine for most complex technical examinations what must be raised and what is unnecessary.

Question: Is it true that there was a dent found on one of the fragments of the submarine's bow, which pointed to its damage from one of Russia's own missiles?

Troshin: Absolute nonsense. Commander-in-Chief Admiral Kuroyedov gave an exhaustive answer to this question last year, and I would not like to repeat what he said.

Question: Will some evidence remain on the bottom that could tell something new about the sinking of the submarine?

Troshin: I don't think so.

What was raised from the bottom?

At first, five fragments were to be raised:

1. A fragment of the torpedo tube weighing about a ton (in order to ascertain whether the impact hit it from inside or outside).

2. A high-pressure air (HPA) cylinder weighing about 500 kg (the goal of raising is the same).

3-4. A fragment of the cylindrical part of the hard frame and the left part of the forward spherical partition. Their study was to reveal the mystery of the fire in the compartment and determine its intensity and temperature.

5. A fragment of the sonar system dome (SSD).

For now, the following fragments have been raised from the deep: part of the torpedo tube, the HPA cylinder, and the SSD. According to expert views, this is quite enough to determine he causes of the disaster. It has been decided to use explosives to destroy the remaining parts of the Kursk. (Translated by P. Pikhnovsky)

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