The Kremlin’s decisions in the aftermath of the Kursk incident ultimately exasperated the outcome.
Earlier this year, a documentary focused on examining the events leading up to the infamous Kursk submarine disaster aired on Sky History. When the Russian Oscar-class submarine sank to the bottom of the Barents Sea, 118 crew members tragically perished. While submarine mishaps have historically occurred, even in the United States, decisions made by the Kremlin in the immediate aftermath of the incident ultimately exasperated the outcome. In fact, the sinking of the Kursk arguably represents the biggest stain on Russian president Vladimir Putin’s early rule.
Introducing the Kursk
During the Cold War, the Soviet Union and the United States were racing to produce the newest and most advanced underwater capabilities around. The USSR’s Oscar-class submarines (Project 949 Antey) were conceptualized to be able to confront NATO aircraft carrier groups. The lead boat of the Oscar-class was laid down in the mid-1970s and was meant to be succeeded by thirteen other submarines. Although many defense-related programs were cut by the newly installed Russian government following the collapse of the USSR in the early 1990s, completing the Oscar-class production process remained a priority. In terms of firepower, the Oscar-class was designed to pack a punch. Each boat in this class was equipped with long-range P-700 Granit anti-ship missiles, making the platform quite lethal. Six Oscar-class submarines remain in service with the Russian Navy today.
The Kursk Disaster
In August 2000, the Kursk Oscar-class submarine was participating in Russia’s Summer-X exercise when tragedy prevailed. As part of the drill, Kursk was meant to launch a pair of training torpedoes. Upon receiving permission to initiate the test, a first explosion measuring 1.5 on the Richter scale was detected by Russian naval assets as well as a Norwegian seismic monitoring station. A second, much larger explosion measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale, nearly 250 times larger, was detected just over two minutes later.
Even as the blasts were picked up on seismographs across Europe, Putin and the Russian Navy made no public acknowledgment of the catastrophe. In fact, the Russian president continued vacationing on the Black Sea for more than a week before addressing the incident upon returning home to Moscow.
Two Russian mini-submersibles managed to locate the debris of the Kursk just 354 feet below the surface. While the mini boats attempted to gain a seal over the rear escape hatch, this effort was unsuccessful. In the meantime, the United States and other Western nations offered assistance to the Russian Navy as they became aware of the mishap. However, Russia turned down all aid for five days before Putin finally caved and accepted British and Norwegian help. Sadly, a team of British and Norwegian divers discovered that the vessel’s entire crew had perished. To make matters worse, twenty-three sailors were found to have barricaded themselves in a flooded rear compartment awaiting a rescue that never came.
Russian officials subsequently tried to project blame for the botched rescue in the aftermath, and sadly few were held accountable for the mishap for the tragedy that took place.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
