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Russian Submersible Fire - 14 Dead.

Yet another tragedy for Russia. No matter what country you come from no one likes to see this, RIP.

Fire kills 14 Russian sailors aboard deep-sea submersible
BY VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV ASSOCIATED PRESS
JULY 02, 2019 03:20 PM.

MOSCOW
Fire broke out on one of the Russian navy's deep-sea research submersibles, and toxic fumes from the blaze killed 14 sailors aboard, Russia's Defense Ministry said Tuesday, although it released few details about the disaster or the vessel involved.

The Defense Ministry did not say how many sailors were aboard the vessel during Monday's fire, whether there were any survivors or if it was submerged at the time. But Russian media reported it was the country's most secret submersible, a nuclear-powered vessel designed for sensitive missions at great depths.

President Vladimir Putin, who came under criticism for his handling of the Kursk nuclear submarine disaster in 2000 that killed 118 sailors, canceled a scheduled appearance and immediately summoned Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for a briefing on the blaze, which was under investigation.

"Fourteen submariners have died of poisoning by fumes from the fire," Shoigu told Putin during a televised meeting. "The fire was extinguished thanks to the crew's resolute action."

Putin ordered Shoigu to fly to the Arctic port of Severomorsk, the main base for Russia's Northern Fleet where the vessel was brought, to oversee the investigation and report back to him personally.

"It's a huge loss for the navy," Putin said. "I offer my sincere condolences to the families of the victims."

He added that the vessel had a special mission and an elite crew.

"It's isn't a regular vessel. It's a research vessel with a highly professional crew," Putin said, adding that seven of the dead had the rank of captain and two were awarded the nation's highest medal, the Hero of Russia.

The fire occurred while the submersible was measuring sea depths in Russia's territorial waters, the ministry said, adding that the vessel also is used for studying the seabed.

Russia's RBC online news outlet and the Novaya Gazeta newspaper identified it as the nuclear-powered AS-12 Losharik.

The vessel is the most advanced Russian submersible, under a heavy veil of secrecy, and it is believed to have entered service in 2010. It is named after a Soviet-era animated cartoon horse that is made up of small spheres.

The name is apparently derives from the unique design of its interior hull, which is made of titanium spheres capable of withstanding high pressure at great depths.

In 2012, the Losharik was involved in research intended to prove Russia's claim on the vast Arctic seabed. It collected samples from the depth of 2,500 meters (8,202 feet), according to official statements at the time. Regular submarines can typically dive to depths of up to 600 meters (2,000 feet).

Some observers speculated the Losharik was even capable of going as deep as 6,000 meters (19,685 feet), but the claims couldn't be independently confirmed. Analysts suggested that one of its possible missions could be disrupting communication cables on the seabed.

The Losharik is carried under the hull of a mother submarine, the nuclear-powered Orenburg, and reportedly has a crew of 25, all of them officers.
 
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I can't imagine the last moments these guys had, hopefully It was quick and they were asphyxiated quickly and didn't suffer. My heart goes out to the families and friends. RIP guys. It doesn't matter where you come from, nobody likes to see this kind of tragedy.
 
Sounds a bit like the old USN vessel NR-1, a small nuclear sub used to research. IIRC she was in use from around 1970 until around 2008. Much of what it was used for was never disclosed although it was used to retrieve bits and pieces of the space shuttle Challenger and also to explore a sunken RN hospital ship in the Med.

I have no idea how deep she could go but I suspect the Russian ship could go deeper.
 
I can't imagine the last moments these guys had, hopefully It was quick and they were asphyxiated quickly and didn't suffer. My heart goes out to the families and friends. RIP guys. It doesn't matter where you come from, nobody likes to see this kind of tragedy.
Reportedly only one died during the fire. 13 were poisoned by fire gases. Now 4 or 5 are in the hospital. Let's wish them fast recover.
 
Allegedly the fire happened on AS-12 nuclear mini-submarine. Allegedly she and her bigger submarine carrier look this way
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Sounds a bit like the old USN vessel NR-1, a small nuclear sub used to research. IIRC she was in use from around 1970 until around 2008. Much of what it was used for was never disclosed although it was used to retrieve bits and pieces of the space shuttle Challenger and also to explore a sunken RN hospital ship in the Med.

I have no idea how deep she could go but I suspect the Russian ship could go deeper.
They were at it with Halibut, Parche and A.N. Other back in the 60's/70's, sneaking in and doing wire taps on Soviet subsea comms cables.

Op. Ivy Bells I think it was.
 
They were at it with Halibut, Parche and A.N. Other back in the 60's/70's, sneaking in and doing wire taps on Soviet subsea comms cables.

Op. Ivy Bells I think it was.

I saw NR-1 once in Groton, CT docked next to a boomer. Looked like a toy next to a boomer.
 
Update on the event. If accurate, once again the bravery of the Russian service personnel involved can't be faulted. A pity they aren't partners rather than adversaries. RIP.

'When a fire broke out aboard a deep-diving nuclear spy submarine last month, it killed 14 Russian sailors. Now Moscow is moving to fast-track the repair of the radioactive boat to ensure its secret mission is completed.

'Recent reports in Russian media cast fresh light on the secrecy-shrouded accident as well as reveal the extent of damage suffered by the AS-32 “Losharik”. Did incompetence cause the disaster? A technological fault? Or sabotage? Kremlin investigators say they are inclined to believe the latter. “It is evident that the fire has done serious damage and that the vessel’s radio-electronic equipment, automatics, acoustics and navigation equipment, as well as the life support system, needs to be replaced,” a report by the state-controlled TASS agency says. Whether or not the submarine’s titanium hull and nuclear reactor were damaged is not clear.

'According to recent reports, the experimental submarine had been completing exercises in Motovsky Bay in the Barents Sea. Losharik was on the brink of docking with its much larger Delta IV Delfin class “mothership” BS-64 Podmoskovye when the fire broke out. It had reportedly just completed the last of a series of training exercises before a planned “active service” deployment. But something appears to have sparked a fire in Losharik’s battery compartment and caused the flooding of several of its circular modules.

'According to Russian news service Kommersant, six passengers escaped. But the remaining 10 crew followed strict Russian navy procedural requirements. They were required to stay at their posts in order to combat the blaze. All of the remaining would have had to don portable breathing units offering up to 30 minutes of oxygen to avoid being overcome by the smoke. “The submariners acted heroically in the critical situation,” Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said. “They evacuated a civilian expert from the compartment that was engulfed by fire and shut the door to prevent the fire from spreading further and fought for the ship’s survival until the end.” According to Kommersant, the submariners “fought to the last”. They battled the blaze for more than 40 minutes — swapping their portable breathing units for fresh ones and switching to fixed emergency breathing units.'


 

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