WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War! Chances of Rescue 'Not Good' for Russian Nuke Sub Stuck on Ocean Floor Updated Monday, August 14, 2000 Time may be running out for the crew members of the Russian nuclear submarine trapped 480 feet down in the frigid waters of the Barents Sea Monday, amid speculation that the sinking was caused by a "serious" collision with another vessel. Reuters This photo shows a Russian Oscar-class nuclear submarine, similar to the submarine stuck in the Barents Sea [Unable to display image] Russia's Interfax news agency quoted a source at the headquarters of Russia's North Sea fleet as saying some of the 107 to 130 crew members of the nuclear submarine Kursk might have been killed in the initial collision. The Kursk was also reportedly running only on battery fuel to provide oxygen and heat. The military has not said exactly what caused the Kursk crew to decide to ground the vessel and turn off its nuclear reactor, but Tass quoted Russian navy commander Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov as saying the Kursk bore the marks of a "big and serious collision." FOX FAST FACTS The Kursk, built in 1994, is one of the newest vessels in the Russian navy. The Kursk is a 14000-ton Oscar II-class vessel, 508 feet long and 30 feet wide. It is reportedly 480 feet underwater, which makes any rescue operation difficult because of the enormous water pressure. The Russian Navy says the Kursk was not carrying any nuclear weapons and that its two nuclear reactors have been shut down. "The chances for a positive outcome are not very high," Kuroyedov was quoted as saying. The condition of the crew was unknown. The navy said at first that it was in radio contact with the submarine, but later admitted that there was only "acoustic contact" that could be the noise of crewmen pounding on the hull. The Kursk plunged to the floor of the Barents Sea, in arctic waters bordering the northwest coast of Russia and the northern tip of Norway, while taking part in a major naval exercise Sunday. Initial reports from the Defense Ministry said the front torpedo tubes flooded after torpedoes were fired in the training exercise. The submarine was being examined by deep-water apparatus late Monday and a decision on how to conduct a rescue would likely be made only Tuesday, according to Russian news reports. A team of ship designers was rushed to the area to help suggest ways to rescue the crew. Kuroyedov didn't specify what could have collided with the submarine, but Itar-Tass quoted a Russian navy source as saying the vessel may have collided with a foreign submarine. Cat-and-Mouse Games At the Pentagon, spokesman Rear Adm. Craig Quigley would only say the Pentagon has "no indication that a U.S. vessel was involved in this accident." Russian and Western submarines sometimes play cat-and-mouse games in the area and have scraped each other in the past, according to reports. All major Russian naval exercises are closely monitored by the U.S. and other Western warships. A U.S. surveillance ship, the USNS Loyal, was monitoring the Russian naval exercise. Quigley said the U.S. military has not been asked to assist. Although the U.S. Navy has submarine rescue vessels, their hatches are compatible only with U.S.-made submarines and could not be used in this case. Rescue Procedures Unclear The submarine can normally stay underwater for about 100 days, but was reportedly running out of oxygen and heat after the accident. At the scene, a task force of eight warships — including five surface vessels and three submarines — was sent to the area off Russia's northwest coast. A rescue ship lowered a "bell" onto the deck of the submarine trapped and began supplying the trapped vessel with oxygen, the Defense Ministry said. Standard rescue procedures call for the crew to be rescued using the "bell" or "capsule" which is lowered onto the hatch of the submarine. An alternative, considered extremely difficult, would be for the crewmembers to swim out of the torpedo tubes into the deep, Arctic waters. "The situation is extremely negative," Vladimir Gundarov, a submarine specialist at Red Star, the official daily newspaper of the Russian military, said. The Russian navy does not have advanced submarine rescue vessels, according to standard naval reference works. Sub Not Carrying Any Nuclear Weapons The Kursk was built in 1994 and went into service in 1995, making it one of the newest vessels in the Russian navy. It is a nuclear strategic submarine that can carry up to 24 nuclear surface-to-surface missiles, used mainly in combat with ships. Earlier Monday, navy spokesman Igor Dygalo said the Oscar-class submarine was not carrying any nuclear weapons and there was no immediate danger of radiation leaks or an explosion. The vessel's two nuclear reactors had been shut down, he said. The Russian navy denied there was any increase in radiation levels from the sub — but the Norwegian defense Ministry is monitoring levels around the sub which is in international waters north-east of the Russian port of Murmansk. Russian Navy in Shambles Russian nuclear submarines have been involved in a string of accidents in recent decades. In the last major accident involving one of Moscow's nuclear submarines, the Komsomolets sank in April 1989 after catching fire 210 miles north of Norway. Forty-two of the 69 Soviet sailors aboard died in the accident. The Russian military, including the navy, is in shambles, with no regular maintenance of weapons and other equipment. Many warships do not receive the regular servicing needed to keep them seaworthy, according to navy officers and veterans. The Izvestia newspaper reported recently that, according to the most conservative estimate, 507 submarine crew members have died during the 40-year history of Russian nuclear submarines. — The AP and Reuters contributed to this report. *COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] Want to be on our lists? Write at [EMAIL PROTECTED] for a menu of our lists! ****************************************************************************** ******************* A vote for Bush or Gore is a vote to continue Clinton policies! A vote for Buchanan is a vote to continue America! Therefore a vote for Gore or Bush is a wasted vote for America! Don't waste your vote! Vote for Patrick Buchanan! Today, candor compels us to admit that our vaunted two-party system is a snare and a delusion, a fraud upon the nation. Our two parties have become nothing but two wings of the same bird of prey... Patrick Buchanan <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
