Defense chief says there are survivors of navy fire
MOSCOW — Some crew members have survived a fire that killed 14 sailors onboard one of the Russian navy’s deepsea research submersibles, the nation’s defense minister said Wednesday.
Sergei Shoigu didn’t specify how many crew members were rescued from Monday’s fire. Speaking at the navy’s Arctic base of Severomorsk, he praised the vessel’s crew for “heroic” action, saying they sacrificed their lives to rescue a civilian expert and save the ship after the fire erupted.
Details were scarce about the incident on the ship, which was on a mission to measure sea depths in Russia’s territorial waters in the Barents Sea. The Defense Ministry said the seamen were killed by toxic fumes from the blaze, but did not specify how many crew members were aboard.
The ministry didn’t name the vessel, but Russian media reported it was the country’s most secret submersible, a nuclearpowered research submarine called the Losharik intended for sensitive missions at great depths.
Few images and details have emerged about the vessel. In 2012, the Losharik was involved in research intended to prove Russia’s claim on the vast Arctic seabed. It collected samples from a depth of 8,202 feet, according to official statements at the time. Regular submarines can typically dive only to depths of up to 2,000 feet.
President Vladimir Putin, who summoned Shoigu Tuesday to report on the fire, said in televised comments that seven of the dead had the rank of captain and two had been awarded the nation’s highest medal, the Hero of Russia.
“It’s a huge loss for the navy,” Putin said.
Russian media on Wednesday identified some of the victims, including the ship’s captain, Denis Dolonskiy, who was awarded the Hero of Russia medal for the 2012 Arctic seabed research mission.
Shoigu, speaking during a meeting with officials investigating the fire, said those who died were “high professionals” and “unique experts.”
“The submariners acted heroically in the critical situation,” he 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.”
Viktor Murakhovsky, a wellconnected military expert, told Russian state television that the accident happened while the ship was at the depth of 984 feet. He said the victims included two sons of Russian navy admirals.