Northern Fleet accidents and incidents

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The most shocking accident in the Northern Fleet was the loss of the Kursk, an Oscar class submarine which sank in 110 metres of water in August 2001 during a training exercise after a torpedo exploded on board, killing all 118 crew members. As one of the most highlighted media events that year, it showed the Russian Navy’s absolute inability to deal with a crisis this size. After almost a week underwater, it was finally a Norwegian diving team that tried to free any survivors. In August 2003, the rust-eaten K-159 sank while being towed to dismantlement and sank in 280 metres of water, killing nine of the 10 crew members on board to plug holes along the way. In 1989, the Komsomolets, a Mike class sub sank in the Norwegian Sea after a fire in 1685 meters of water killing 47 and injuring 25. Reactor accidents have also plagued the Northern Fleet throughout its history from the K-11, the K27, the k-140 the K329, the K-222, the K-123, the K-314, the K-431, the K-192, the K-8, the K-3 and the Soviet Union’s first strategic submarine, the K-19.

ARTICLES
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Bellona archive

[ 27.07.2007 ]
Explosion destroys external hull of nuclear submarine in Severodvinsk
An explosion caused by excessive air pressure ripped through the hull of a submarine undergoing repairs at the Northern Russian naval repair yard of Zvezdochka in Severodivnsk, the Russian Navy and plant officials said Friday.
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Foto: Moscoop

[ 20.11.2006 ]
Conflicting reports on Severodvinsk sub fire raise concerns of a hush-up policy
The press-service of the shipbuilding yard Sevmash based in Severodvinsk in Northern Russia continues to play down concerns caused by the November 2 fire that took place on the K-317 nuclear submarine while under repairs at the yard.
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submarina.ru

[ 07.09.2006 ]
Fire breaks out aboard Northern Fleet nuclear sub, killing 2
ST PETERSBURG - A fire broke out aboard a Victor-III class nuclear submarine belonging to the Russian Northern Fleet late on Wednesday killing two crew members, Northern Fleet naval officials told international news agencies Thursday morning.
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NEWS
[ 22.06.2005 ]
Russian nuclear submarine fails to launch solar sail

A Kosmos-1 experimental satellite with a “solar sail” failed to reach its orbit after a launch from a Russian nuclear submarine.

[ 20.08.2004 ]
All nuclear powered lighthouses to be removed by 2005

Murmansk authorities are removing lighthouses run on radioactive strontium-90 batteries and replacing them with modern solar energy lighthouses, NTV reported.

[ 28.04.2004 ]
Half a million dollars missing from Russian Northern Fleet's flagship

Embezzlement of finances and property on the Peter the Great nuclear cruiser amounted to 14 million rubles (almost $500,000) in 2003, the RIA Novosti news agency reported yeserday, citing a source in the financial directorate of the Northern Fleet's headquarters.

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