Kommersant, December 5, 2001, p. 2
Admiral Vyacheslav Popov, former Commander of the Northern Fleet, dismissed last Saturday by the president, has moved to the Nuclear Ministry. According to Kommersant, the admiral has been appointed chief of the department in charge of scrapping nuclear submarines. In other words, exactly he will be in charge of scrapping the Kursk submarine.
Vologda Governor Vyacheslav Pozgalev said: “The admiral is in rather optimistic spirits. He said he moves to Moscow where he has received a new apartment.” Official representatives of the Nuclear Ministry do not know anything about the admiral’s appointment. However, Kommersant’s sources said on condition of anonymity that the admiral will control the department for scrapping nuclear submarines.
The admiral has been appointed to a very important post – his department will have to scrap over 150 nuclear submarines. Admiral Popov’s new job will be linked with his previous responsibilities because the functions of scrapping nuclear submarines were passed over to the Nuclear Ministry from the Defense Ministry in 1998. Currently, the Navy has to pass over technical bases of the Northern and Pacific Fleets to the Nuclear Ministry’s enterprises. The military do not want to part with their property because the maintenance of the bases is funded from the state budget. Admiral Popov will have to settle relations with his former subordinates.
