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CNN Saturday Morning News
Russian Submarine Sinks During Storm
Aired August 30, 2003 - 07:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: A Russian nuclear submarine on the way to the scrap heap sank violent -- sank during, rather, during a violent storm. Rescue operations under way in the Barents Sea to recover the crew.
Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty joins us on the phone with more on this.
And Jill, what's the latest as we understand it?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF (on phone): Well, Thomas, this nuclear-powered K-159 submarine was actually quite old. It was decommissioned back in 1989, and it was being towed from its base in the Barents Sea to a plant where it was going to be dismantled.
And a fierce storm early Saturday morning tore off the pontoons that were floating the sub. It then capsized and sank.
There were 10 men aboard, 10 sailors. Two are confirmed dead, one has been rescued. But they do not yet know the fate of the seven others. Operation to find them and search and rescue continue, but a top naval official told Russian television that it's unlikely anyone could survive for long in that frigid water.
The Russian Defense Ministry tells CNN the two nuclear reactors aboard the sub were already shut down and there were no nuclear weapons aboard.
President Vladimir Putin, by the way, is in Italy. He was informed. And he said that the sinking will be very carefully investigated.
By the way, Thomas, this accident immediately, of course, reminded people here in Russia and probably around the world of the Kursk submarine disaster that happened three years ago this August, and it was also in the Barents Sea, but in that case, the Kursk was on active duty and had a full crew when it sank after torpedoes exploded aboard, and in that case all 118 men died -- Thomas.
ROBERTS: Jill, so as we understand it ecologically not a threat, but what do we know about weather and why that wasn't a concern for this move?
DOUGHERTY: Well, it's always a concern up there, because weather tends to be pretty bad very, very far north, very cold, lots of storms, and it appears from what the military is saying that the submarine just capsized because probably hit by big waves in the storm, and that appears to be the reason for it, but you know, Thomas, you were talking about the ecology. This is just a reminder of what's going on with the Russian navy. There are a lot -- in fact, last figures we saw, 189 nuclear submarines, old ones that have been dismantled in the past 15 years, but there are still about 126 of them left. And they still have to be dismantled, and they still have fuel in their reactors, but the Russian government says they don't have the money yet to get rid of all of them.
ROBERTS: Such a delicate process, as we're learning especially today. Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty on the phone for us. Jill, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 30, 2003 - 07:29 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THOMAS ROBERTS, CNN ANCHOR: A Russian nuclear submarine on the way to the scrap heap sank violent -- sank during, rather, during a violent storm. Rescue operations under way in the Barents Sea to recover the crew.
Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty joins us on the phone with more on this.
And Jill, what's the latest as we understand it?
JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN MOSCOW BUREAU CHIEF (on phone): Well, Thomas, this nuclear-powered K-159 submarine was actually quite old. It was decommissioned back in 1989, and it was being towed from its base in the Barents Sea to a plant where it was going to be dismantled.
And a fierce storm early Saturday morning tore off the pontoons that were floating the sub. It then capsized and sank.
There were 10 men aboard, 10 sailors. Two are confirmed dead, one has been rescued. But they do not yet know the fate of the seven others. Operation to find them and search and rescue continue, but a top naval official told Russian television that it's unlikely anyone could survive for long in that frigid water.
The Russian Defense Ministry tells CNN the two nuclear reactors aboard the sub were already shut down and there were no nuclear weapons aboard.
President Vladimir Putin, by the way, is in Italy. He was informed. And he said that the sinking will be very carefully investigated.
By the way, Thomas, this accident immediately, of course, reminded people here in Russia and probably around the world of the Kursk submarine disaster that happened three years ago this August, and it was also in the Barents Sea, but in that case, the Kursk was on active duty and had a full crew when it sank after torpedoes exploded aboard, and in that case all 118 men died -- Thomas.
ROBERTS: Jill, so as we understand it ecologically not a threat, but what do we know about weather and why that wasn't a concern for this move?
DOUGHERTY: Well, it's always a concern up there, because weather tends to be pretty bad very, very far north, very cold, lots of storms, and it appears from what the military is saying that the submarine just capsized because probably hit by big waves in the storm, and that appears to be the reason for it, but you know, Thomas, you were talking about the ecology. This is just a reminder of what's going on with the Russian navy. There are a lot -- in fact, last figures we saw, 189 nuclear submarines, old ones that have been dismantled in the past 15 years, but there are still about 126 of them left. And they still have to be dismantled, and they still have fuel in their reactors, but the Russian government says they don't have the money yet to get rid of all of them.
ROBERTS: Such a delicate process, as we're learning especially today. Moscow bureau chief Jill Dougherty on the phone for us. Jill, thanks very much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
