Fire kills 14 Russians aboard secret submersible

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.

During a televised meeting, 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.

“It’s a huge loss for the navy,” Putin said.

He added that the vessel had a special mission and an elite crew, seven of whom had the rank of captain. Two in the crew had been 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.

Russia’s RBC online news outlet and the Novaya Gazeta newspaper identified the vessel as the nuclearpowered AS-12 Losharik.

The vessel is the most advanced Russian submersible and it is believed to have entered service in 2010. Its interior hull is made of titanium spheres capable of withstanding high pressure at great depths.

The Losharik is carried under the hull of a mother submarine, the nuclearpowered Orenburg, and reportedly has a crew of 25, all of them officers.

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 8,202 feet, according to official statements. Regular submarines can typically dive to depths of up to 2,000 feet.