The main suspect in the loss of Russia’s Kursk nuclear submarine is
NATO, according to that nation’s defense minister.
“I am more inclined to think that there was a collision with some
object,” said Russian Defense Minister Marshal Igor Sergeyev, in remarks
carried by the Voice of Russia World Service, the official broadcasting
service of the Russian government.
Sergeyev noted that NATO denied any of the alliance’s submarines were
present in the area, but he also claimed that “in informal
conversations,” NATO officials have acknowledged that even “if such had
occurred,” the event “would never have been admitted.”
Supporting his contention, he stated that there were “notes of the
Russian naval officers who say [there were] buoys and the object itself
on the bottom of the sea …” The “object,” according to Sergeyev, was
“dimensionable” with the Kursk.
Moscow cites as “circumstantial evidence” three other incidents of
Russian submarines lost at sea — in 1968, 1970 and 1993 — that were
attributed to “head-on collisions with American naval ships.”
The Russian government also states that “it is absolutely certain”
three NATO submarines had intruded into waters close to the military
exercises in which Kursk was participating. Of the three, “one hastily
disappeared to a Norwegian dock.”
Moscow has denounced those who “have chosen to use the Kursk tragedy
… to write off the Russian navy as a spent force,” and who assert
“Russia has lost its status as a world power,” according to the
broadcast.
The broadcast also said there are those who would wish to use the
sinking of the Russian submarine Kursk “to reawaken the Cold War
period,” and who are “acting as if … to add insult to Russia’s
wound.” The Russian government warned against underestimating the
Russian military, stating that those who do so “will lull themselves
into a false sense of absolute security.”
Moscow denied any similarity between the sinking of the Kursk and the
Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster in 1986. The broadcast declared,
“the end of Russia as a naval power is a premature exaggeration,”
loosely paraphrasing American humorist Mark Twain’s oft-quoted remark
about reports of his own death.
The Voice of Russia, however, ominously added, “those doggedly
holding on to such an erroneous viewpoint will lull themselves into a
false sense of absolute security.”
The broadcast acknowledged “some of the criticism leveled against
certain civilian and military leaders of Russia is quite justified.”
Specifically, the broadcast said, “There was an inexplicable lack of
coordination coupled with a shoddy handling of the rescue operation.”
Sergeyev declared the sailors of the Kursk “will remain in our hearts
and in the history of the Russian navy.” Citing British experts, Moscow
stated “the crew of the Kursk performed an heroic act by turning off the
nuclear reactors — and by doing so depriving themselves of any hope of
survival.”
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