Vremya MN, November 13, 2001, p. 3
The press service of the Russian Northern Fleet has denied reports that military prosecutors would not examine the Kursk submarine any longer. Captain Igor Babenko, the deputy chief of the press service, said that several investigators who had to carry materials to Moscow and St. Petersburg have left Roslyakovo. However, the examination of the submarine continues. Investigators have discovered 56 bodies of seamen since the nuclear submarine was docked.
Investigators currently are examining the second and fourth compartments of the submarine. Torpedo debris has been discovered in the second compartment, after which access to the third compartment was limited. (…)
Unfortunately, documents found on board the submarine have not explained the cause of the shipwreck. Such documents contain technical reports about the Kursk’s energy systems. General Prosecutor Vladimir Ustinov said that investigators are considering all three theories concerning the shipwreck (a torpedo explosion, a collision with another ship or submarine, and a mine explosion). The general prosecutor noted that investigators have not found evidence that the submarine sank because of a torpedo explosion.
Meanwhile, investigators are convinced that the shipwreck was inevitable, and it was impossible to rescue the crew. The prosecutor’s office will check the activities of the command of the Russian Navy during that tragic exercise by the end of November. (…)
