Did Kursk Hit U.S. or U.K. Ship?

Sept. 5, 2000 -- An object resembling equipment from a U.S. or British ship was found on the seabed near the site of the Kursk disaster, a top Russian general said.

However, Vladimir Navrotsky, the chief spokesman for the Russian Northern Fleet, told Russia’s Gazeta.ru Internet news site that no such object was found when divers explored the Kursk and the area around it last week.

Col. Gen. Valery Manilov offered no evidence for the claim, which he said supported the theory that a collision with a foreign vessel caused the Aug. 12 explosions that killed the nuclear submarine’s 118-man crew.

Manilov said the mysterious object, found 50 yards from the sunken Kursk, was being guarded by ships from Russia’s Northern Fleet. He did not say when or how it was located or give other details, according to Russian news reports.

Reports in Russia have repeatedly suggested that the Kursk sank after a collision with a U.S. or even Russian “spy” vessel observing the military maneuvers in which the sub had been participating.

Naval experts around the world who have analyzed the seismic records of the explosions aboard the Kursk believe the tragedy was caused by two massive explosions on board.

What Happened?

The cause of the two explosions remains unclear. Military officials claim the most likely scenario is that the Kursk struck another vessel, probably a foreign submarine. The U.S. and British navies have denied any collision, and the Russians have offered no evidence.

Some observers blame an internal malfunction and explosion in the submarine’s torpedo compartment. Russian officials have also not ruled out that the Kursk hit a World War II-era mine.

Manilov said the mystery wreckage substantiates the claim that the Kursk was sunk by a collision, not the misfiring of its own torpedoes.

NATO: Don’t Blame Us

U.S. officials have said that an American submarine was in the area, but denied that it collided with the Kursk. NATO officials said the same thing about U.S. and U.K. vessels.

Russia’s leaders — including President Vladimir Putin — have been under fire for their handling of the Kursk tragedy. They have been accused of a cold-war mentality, obsessive secrecy, lying to the public, and failing to act quickly enough to save the crew.

A massive and deadly fire in Moscow’s main TV tower has knocked much of the criticism off the airwaves for those who do not have satellite or cable television, but newspapers and Web sites have continued the barrage.

Russian officials said recently they would begin a costly attempt to raise the sub to prevent a radioactive leak.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.