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Kursk submarine tragedy remembered ten years later
Published: 12 August, 2010, 07:30
Edited: 17 August, 2010, 20:26
The accident onboard the nuclear submarine Kursk that happened exactly 10 years ago during the naval exercise left all 118 members of its crew, most of whom were under 30, dead.
I do remember the Kursk nuclear submarine tragedy but as in current tragic wildfires that are ravaging Russia, some corners in the West, there were comments and criticism about Russia’s failure to assert itself anew under Putin than the actual tragic event that was unfolding un the Kursk submarine. I do believe that Russia is today much stronger than when Kursk tragedy happened. Russia must make all that is humanly, institutionally and legally possible to honour the names of these sailors by among other things setting up scholarships in the names of these 118 sailors and also pay financial compensation to their families. I pray for Russia and for Russians as this great nation and great people have endured so much pain and tragedies. May God/Allah the All Mighty bless the souls of these sailors and ease the pain of their families and friends. They say time heals all wounds but there are wounds that cannot be healed by time and the loss of a son by a mother or a father creates a wound that only death can heal.
Unfortunately, keeping the secrets of the Kursk was much more important for Russia than saving the souls of these sailors. Only after a few days Russia admitted they hadn't a rescueplan or the knowledge for a rescueplan like this and gave green light for the Norwegian marine to finally open the submarine. The woman who had the guts to openly criticize this failure was brought away. Despite this all, may the sailors rest in peace.
the Kursk was hit by a nato torpedo
The US refused Soviet help over Apollo 13. The US refused Russian help over hurricane Katrina. The Soviets asked for help over Chernobyl (ie robot technology) the US declined. The fact is that even after foreign help arrived it was at least 5 days before they actually got inside the vessel, so if they had been called immediately and had arrived immediately (which couldn't happen) the sailors inside the Kursk would have still perished... RIP.
After the collapse of the USSR, Russia had been systematically dismembered and it was perfectly understandable that Vladimir Putin did not want to seek the help of those who were alarmed and dismayed by Putin’s attempt to restore what is left of Russia. The West did not like the new Russia that Putin was trying to recreate and restore. What is also clear from this little 40 second clip is that the Russia’s navy or at least some segment of it, is not convinced by the official version of what happened to the Kursk Submarine. http://en.rian.ru/video/20100813/160186873.html
Hello my Russian friends, I sympathize with your loss but I believe you have it wrong. I was an American submariner in the Cold War. My submarine, the Hammerhead, trailed three Soviet nuclear submarines in the Med during my tour in the 80s. At one point, we hid underneath the Kirov, a Soviet nuclear cruiser. One mid-watch, we had an incident in which we inadvertently went to all-ahead-flank when in trail of a Victor-class. We sped up and almost scraped his paint off. The Soviet crew on duty never reacted, even though they had to have heard us. I believe they covered up the incident because they would have been in trouble with the political officer onboard and were protecting the captain's career. In any case, I was interviewed by Pravda after the sinking of the Kursk and asked if a collision with an American submarine could have caused the sinking, and my reply was the circumstances did not lead to that conclusion. The weapons test underway of an underwater solid-fueled torpedo/missile killed the Kursk. I am the author of 9 novels (see ussdevilfish.com) and in several of my novels (try "PHOENIX SUB ZERO"), the use of an underwater solid-fueled torpedo blows up the firing ship. In this case, life imitated art. If an American sub collided with Kursk, she would have been able to emergency blow to the surface with a minor leak. Adding to American frustration is that Putin turned down American offers of help. Russia needs to understand -- we all watched the death of the Kursk in agony, all of us praying for the survival of the Kursk crew. I know, I was glued to the TV. All of my friends and family cried over the deaths of the Kursk crew. We all were so sorry for the loss of Russia's sons on that vessel. My Russian friends, there was no conspiracy and no American fault in this sinking.
Shocking that Russia could let these men die - irrespective of the circumstances under which the Kursk got into trouble. In future be strong enough to ask for help! We all need it!
Michael DiMercurio Do think the U.S media tells "the truth"? Do you think the 5000 plus American soldier who were killed in Iraq because they were fighting a war based on lies and deceit in Iraq deserved to live? Note: unlike the heroic sailors of Kursk, the dead American soldiers bodies from Iraq and Afghanistanm are often smuggled on the dead of night into country and are not often buried with military honour. Do you think thousands more American soldiers who have been maimed for life in Iraq and Afghanistan deserved to lead peaceful productive lives? At least in Russia, soldiers who die in defense of the Motherland are adored and remembered with statues and parades for generations and centuries. The same is not true in the United States. Putin could have begged the imperialists for help. But he has a moral duty to support the families of these sailors and to raise standards of the Russia’s navy. If we wish to speak about the agony of pain, perhaps we need to look at the victims of the nuclear bombs against the civilian population in Japan.
I saw online a 9 part documentary on the Kursk. What happened to the 2 American submarines afterwards? Especially, the one which hit the Kursk and ended up in a Norwegian port, along with the tons of money exchanged and the debt relief. Any reports?