Events in Russia

[Ca.]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1146116047570972674

Update: Putin is sending his defense minister to visit Severomorsk, the home of a Russian Navy base that housed the Losharik, following Tuesday's submarine accident. And in what will come as a relief to everybody who feared Russia might be on the brink of "Chernobyl 2", Norwegian officials reported that they have discovered no unusual levels of radiation near the accident.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1146110394554970112

Russia's Defense Ministry has confirmed to Interfax and TASS that 14 Russian Navy crew members have died as a result of a fire on one of its deep-sea research submersibles.

The accident is reported to have occurred in Russian territorial waters while the crew was carrying out a survey on July 2, and though little information has as yet been given, it's believed that the sailors died as a result of smoke inhalation.

The submersible is reported to currently be at a Russian Navy base in the northwestern city of Severomorsk, and the incident is subject of an ongoing investigation.

According to a breaking ABC report, citing the AP:

The fire broke out Monday while the submersible was in Russian territorial waters, the military said. The sailors extinguished the fire and the ship has since returned to port in Severomork, Russia, according to the military, The Associated Press reported.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1146116825773760512

Translated from Russian by Microsoft
Among those killed in the fire on the deep-sea apparatus of the Ministry of Defense - seven captains of the 1st rank, two heroes of Russia, the crew was highly professional - Putin. 🕯 Sorrow

https://twitter.com/x/status/1146071246465110016

14 submariners died in a fire that broke out in a submersible vehicle in Russian waters on July 1, the Defense Ministry said in a statement on July 2.

“On July 1, fourteen submariners – sailors died in Russian territorial waters as a result of inhaling combustion products aboard a research submersible vehicle designated for studying the seafloor and the bottom of the World Ocean in the interests of the Russian Navy after a fire broke out during bathymetric measurements,” the defense ministry said adding that the fire was extinguished “thanks to the self-sacrificing actions of the team.”

“The causes of the incident are being investigated. The Navy’s commander-in-chief is carrying out the investigation.”

According to the defense ministry, the submersible vehicle is currently staying at the Severomorsk naval base.

The military provided no details regarding the type of the submersible vehicle involved in the incident. Nonetheless, some Russian media outlets speculated that it may have been the Project 210 submarine (also known as ‘Losharik’).
14 Sailors Died In Fire That Broke At Submersible Vehicle In Russian Waters

The submarine is powered by a nuclear reactor and is believed to be able to operate at a depth of many 1000s metres due to the unique spherical construction elements.

 

[lilies]

Severomorsk means the sub must have been prospecting the floor of the Barents sea: which is relatively shallow with an average depth of 230 meters and greatest depth is 600m, well within the parameters of even the specially built, double hull [one of which was expensive titanium] Soviet submarine K-278 Komsomolets, so a newer submersible shouldn't have had any problems. K-278 made its depth record of 1,020 metres. Interestingly, 5 years later on its 1st operational patrol the K-278 too caught ** FIRE ** and sank.
The K-278 sank in 1989 and is currently resting on the floor of the ** Barents Sea **. Was it the Komsomolets that this new Russian submersible tried to explore???

 

[lilies]

If this new Russian submersible is capable to reach 1000s of meters of depth with such a large crew, that's quite a technological feat! - compared to James Camerons tiny Challenger Deep as he arrived at the Mariana Trench.

 

[thorbiorn]

14 submariners died in a fire that broke out in a submersible vehicle in Russian waters on July 1, the Defense Ministry said in a statement on July 2.

“On July 1, fourteen submariners – sailors died in Russian territorial waters as a result of inhaling combustion products aboard a research submersible vehicle designated for studying the seafloor and the bottom of the World Ocean in the interests of the Russian Navy after a fire broke out during bathymetric measurements,” the defense ministry said adding that the fire was extinguished “thanks to the self-sacrificing actions of the team.”

And in Islamic State claims responsibility for attack in Chechnya, Russia there was:

The Islamic State (IS) extremist group has claimed responsibility for an attack in Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya in which a police officer was killed.

On July 1, an unknown man threw a grenade at a police post in Chechnya's western Achkhoi-Martan district and stabbed a police officer to death.

The assailant was shot dead by police officers.

The IS group claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks online activity of jihadist organizations.

And yesterday was also the event of Putin travels to Siberia as floods turn deadly - at least 14 killed and hundreds injured (UPDATE) I believe Putin arrived at 3 o'clock in the morning. It must have been a long day.

 

[lilies]

The sunk Soviet submarine K-278 Komsomolets - sitting on the sea bottom - has a titanium hull and titanium is expensive: where the Russians trying to recover that titanium??

Here is a less serious speculation for your enjoyment:
Charles Hall, author of the Millenial Hospitality series describes in detail, how the alien scout and larger ships worked and were weaponized. One such, trailer-sized scout ship could have guarded some base access point on the Barent's Sea floor and could easily have caused fire on any Russian submarines by applying its weaponry on low or medium strength setting. Alien bases were started to being established in the 1950s with the US government readily helping with resources. Maybe there is an old base there or an active mining operation for natural-resources like magnesium, etc.. that the aliens are guarding. The aliens described in Charles Hall's books weren't that evil and the fact that the Komsomolets erupted in fire, but could reach the surface so the crew could get out to the water surface with minimal casualties and the fact the the recent submersible wasn't disintegrated at once and it could escape - interestingly matches the Mode of Operation of an not entirely evil alien race. Yes they were killing, when they felt threatened or attacked[!!], but they never massacred entire crews in a savage way. So there was always a well-thought out balance in determent. The fact that the Komsomolets crew died of hypothermia on the surface of the cold sea was entirely the responsibility of the Soviet Government. This also matches the Tall White aliens MO: they were very-very particulate about details and non-intervention procedures: they kept to their business in an extremely strict way and didn't play 'angels saving humans in distress' at all.

 

[lilies]

Recent submersible incident

Remains of huge methane domes found on the floor of the Barents Sea

Researchers working in the Barents Sea have discovered hundreds of craters on the Arctic Sea floor, some measuring over a kilometer in width. These craters, which date back to the end of the last Ice Age, were formed when large reserves of methane exploded in the wake of retreating ice sheets

Hundreds of giant ocean bed craters produced by explosive methane seeps

It has been about 11,600 years since the last one of the huge mounds exploded, releasing its methane gas, and there are literally hundreds of the craters to be seen on the floor of the Barents Sea

 

[angelburst29]

Kremlin says details of sub fire that killed 14 ‘cannot be made public’
Kremlin says details of sub fire that killed 14 ‘cannot be made public’

Local newspaper Novaya Gazeta says the machine is a nuclear mini-submarine AS-12. (File/AFP)

July 03, 2019 - MOSCOW: The Kremlin on Wednesday said details of a fire that killed 14 crew on a deep-water submersible will not be made public because they include classified information.

The seamen died on Monday in Russia’s territorial waters in the country’s far-north, but the disaster was only made public Tuesday.

Officials have given little information about the vessel or the circumstances of the accident, with local media reporting the ship was a secretive nuclear-powered mini-submarine.

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Wednesday there were survivors of the accident, without clarifying how many.

“This information cannot be made public completely,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of the disaster. “It belongs to the category of state secrets.”

Peskov said that President Vladimir Putin was informed immediately after the fire.

“It is completely normal when this kind of information is not made public,” Peskov said, adding that this was “within the law of the Russian Federation.”

Peskov said that “no decision has been made” about a period of mourning in the northern Russian region.

The defense ministry said the 14 crew were killed by inhaling poisonous fumes after a fire broke out on a “scientific research deep-sea submersible” studying the sea floor.

However the Novaya Gazeta newspaper cited sources as saying that the accident took place on an AS-12 nuclear mini-submarine, which is capable of going to extreme depths.

The presence of many senior ranking officers on board could suggest the submarine was not on an ordinary assignment.

Minister Shoigu was in Severomorsk, the restricted-access military port in the Russian Arctic, on Wednesday to direct a probe into the accident.

“Fourteen crew members died, the rest were saved,” he said, quoted by Russian news agencies, without disclosing the total number of seamen who were onboard.

He said the vessel was conducting “important research on the hydrosphere of the earth” in the Barents Sea and that those on board were “unique military specialists.”

According to Shoigu, a civilian "representative of industry" was successfully evacuated by the crew that acted "heroically". The crew managed to evacuate the civilian after which they closed the hatch to halt the spreading of flames, he said.

“They fought for the ship to survive until the end,” Shoigu said, adding that all the seamen will be posthumously given state awards.
The governor of Saint Petersburg, Alexander Beglov said Wednesday that the crew was based in the city.

Names of members crew have not been officially released. By Russian law, publishing names of servicemen engaged in conflict or special operations is illegal.

Putin has ordered a full investigation into what he called a “tragedy.”

The incident is the latest in a string of disasters and accidents to hit Russia’s navy, with echoes of the sinking of the Kursk submarine in 2000 that claimed the lives of 118 personnel and shook the first years of Putin’s presidency.

During a meeting with Shoigu Tuesday, Putin said the submarine in question was “not an ordinary vessel.”

“As we know, it’s a scientific-research vessel, its crew is highly professional,” the Russian leader said.

He said the victims included seven Captain First Rank officers — the most senior staff officers in the Russian navy — and two have been awarded Hero of Russia, a top title given out by the president.

A military expert who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity rubbished claims that the fire happened during scientific research. "Usually it's a cover for different type of work conducted on the seabed" like laying cables, the expert said.

The fire was put out and the vessel returned to a military base in Severomorsk. It is unknown how many were on board the sub.

Daniel (Mr. F)‏ @RUMINT79
Replying to [U]@[B]W7VOA[/B][/U]
Yesterday, Russian state media reported a Kilo-Class sub was in close proximity to a NATO anti-sub exercise. Is there any reported location of the Losharik prior to it being tugged to port?

Comment: What if, this Russian sub was on a scientific study, exactly as reported but also happened to be in close proximity to a NATO anti-sub exercise ... and one of the ships with NATO, detected the Russian sub by sonar and dropped a "depth charger"? (I think - that's what they're called?) Or a torpedo ... and it damaged the Russian sub, causing it to be tugged back to port? So, instead of oil tankers - they decided to put a hole in a nuclear sub? Also, remember this incident about a month ago, just two days before another NATO exercise -
the Baltops-2019 exercise that was held June 9-21 in the Baltic Sea.

June 7, 2019 - U.S. and Russia blame each other for near collision in East China Sea

June 8, 2019 - Three Russian warships to keep NATO Baltops-2019 exercise under observation

If NATO did something really stupid - to a Russian sub - I can realistically understand why Putin interrupted his schedule, Trump called an emergency session at the White House and cancelled VP Pence's trip. It would also explain why some info on the sub can't be made available to the public?

 

[lilies]

“This information cannot be made public completely,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of the disaster. “It belongs to the category of state secrets.”

A simple methane explosion I think they could have told the public. Okay, maybe they experimented with a new soundless drive technology or were testing some weapons hardware under water and it was the 12th time they got it wrong and the thing overheated.. That of course is a state secret, full respect. But this serious, so many dead... man!!! If your experimental tech is so dodgy, don't put that many men on board or do it with a separate smaller boat and this submersible with many sailors on board should have been observing from afar..

This smells increasingly of Russian butt has been kicked pretty good by aliens guarding their area. Just like Admiral Byrd's fleet was beaten. Plus there are those absolutely alien fish species in that region - they are excellent references for my work, but submerging there with these creatures? Plus the C's said there are large monsters, many giga-size squids and dozens dinos/Nessies still living underwater. I dunno.. I think I would cowardly bail out any deep sea exploration that has nowadays "cutting edge" dodgy technology that doesn't give me the absolute reassurance that alien tech would.

 

[angelburst29]

Daniel (Mr. F) @RUMINT79

Yesterday, Russian state media reported a Kilo-Class sub was in close proximity to a NATO anti-sub exercise. Is there any reported location of the Losharik prior to it being tugged to port?https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/07/01/russian-kilo-class-sails-surfaced-through-nato-anti-submarine-exercise-a66220 …
https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=1146110394554970112

Russian Kilo-Class Sails Surfaced Through NATO Anti-Submarine Exercise
The Kilo-class “Vladikavkaz” is en route to St. Petersburg from the Kola Peninsula.
themoscowtimes.com

Reposting a tweet C.a. has provided and it's reference to an article in the Moscow Times, that was published on July 1st - prior to the sub incident. The article provides some very interesting details.

The Kilo-class Vladikavkaz is en route to St. Petersburg from the Kola Peninsula.
Russian Kilo-Class Sub May Surface Through NATO Anti-Submarine Exercise - The Moscow Times

July 1, 2019 By The Barents Observer

On Tuesday (July 2), NATO kicks off its annual anti-submarine exercise Dynamic Mongoose in the Norwegian Sea west of Andøya, northern Norway.

Six frigates, 10 aircraft and several submarines from Canada, the United States, France, Germany, Poland, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom, as well as host nation Norway, will participate in the drill that will last until July 14.

Among them are ships from NATO’s Standing Maritime Group One (SNMG1), which is sailing north directly after completing the annual Baltic Operations (BALTOPS). The Navy Group consists of U.S. Flagship guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely, British frigate HMS Westminster and Turkish frigate TCG Gokova, NATO said.

While NATO is preparing the anti-submarine warfare exercises, Russia's Northern Fleet submarine Vladikavkaz has sailed out from Polyarny on the Kola Peninsula and is right now en route south toward St. Petersburg where it will take part in the annual naval parade.

The state-run Rossiiskaya Gazeta quoted the head of the Northern Fleet’s press service, Vadim Serga, as saying that Vladikavkaz will sail in surface position all the way through the Barents and Norwegian Seas.

Also, during the transition, the diesel-electric submarine will practice rescue exercises.

In March, Interfax reported that in addition to the diesel-electric Kilo-class submarine, another nuclear-powered submarine from the Northern Fleet would sail to St. Petersburg for the naval parade. The report did not specify which submarine, and no further information has been made public.

Over the last few years, the Northern Fleet has regularly sailed a nuclear-submarine to the naval parade in St. Petersburg.

Last year, the Oscar-II class “Orel” participated and in 2017, the Typhoon class “Dmitry Donskoy” became the largest submarine ever to sail into the Baltic Sea. Both submarines sailed in surface position while in transition along the coast of Norway.

In addition to Vladikavkaz, several other ships from the Northern Fleet will be in St. Petersburg, including the newest frigate Admiral Gorshkov, which will soon sail across the Atlantic after recent visits to China and Cuba.

Steve Herman‏Verified account @W7VOA Jul 2
#Russia media reports now identifying the vessel as the nuclear-powered Losharik.
При пожаре на глубоководном аппарате Минобороны погибли 14 подводников

Steve Herman‏Verified account @W7VOA Jul 2
Describing the Losharik as a 'research vessel' is a bit disingenuous. It is reputed to be the most silent and hard-to-detect submarine in the Navy of #Russia -- able to dive to a depth of 6,000 meters and tap or cut telecom cables on the ocean floor.

Navy Day (Russia) - National Naval Parade
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy_Day_(Russia)

Russia celebrates Navy Day with a 2 hour fleet review in St. Petersburg near the Neva River and the Port of Kronstadt, commonly known as the National Naval Parade. It was established by order of President Vladimir Putin on July 27, 2017 as the principal anniversary event in connection with Navy Day celebrations.[3] The parade features ships and marine air force units from the Baltic, Black Sea, Northern and Pacific Fleets as well as the Caspian Flotilla. The naval parade starts at 11:00 AM, with the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy (currently Admiral Vladimir Korolev) being the ceremonial commander of the fleet review formation.[4] Holiday commemorative naval parades by ground units and fleet reviews are also held at naval bases all over the country, such as Sevastopol, Kaliningrad, Vladivostok, Severomorsk and Astrakhan.


President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu during the Navy Day celebrations in 2018. Next date: 29 July 2019.

Comment: Some thoughts and a possible scenario.

Last month, NATO had planned it's Baltops-2019 exercise for June 9-21 in the Baltic Sea. Two days before the start of the NATO exercises, on Friday June 7th, the USS Chancellorsville deliberately crossed over into the path of a Russian destroyer, nearly causing a direct collision in the East China Sea, at a time when a group of Russian warships was on a parallel course with a U.S. Naval strike group.

Now, on July 1st, one day before NATO kicks off its annual anti-submarine exercise Dynamic Mongoose (July 2-14) in the Norwegian Sea, west of Andoya, northern Norway - it is being reported - 14 Russian Navy crew members have died as a result of a fire on one of its deep-sea research submersibles. Am I detecting a pattern here?

NATO is deliberately "shadowing the Russian Navy" and scheduling it's exercises to coincide with Russian activities, so they are in the same vicinity. NATO then covertly tries to spark an incident, using the date of the exercise "as cover" because the exercise hasn't officially started yet! In that line of degenerative thinking, NATO can't be blamed.

Getting back to the article, the Russian Vladikavkaz was heading toward St. Petersburg, to take part in the annual naval parade, that's being held this year on July 29th.

While NATO is preparing the anti-submarine warfare exercises, Russia's Northern Fleet submarine Vladikavkaz has sailed out from Polyarny on the Kola Peninsula and is right now en route south toward St. Petersburg where it will take part in the annual naval parade.

The state-run Rossiiskaya Gazeta quoted the head of the Northern Fleet’s press service, Vadim Serga, as saying that Vladikavkaz will sail in surface position all the way through the Barents and Norwegian Seas.

The article goes on to state:

Over the last few years, the Northern Fleet has regularly sailed a nuclear-submarine to the naval parade in St. Petersburg.

I'm going to take a giant leap of faith and suggest "the Losharik" was the nuclear submarine/submersible vehicle following the Vladikavkaz in route to St. Petersburg, also to take part in the naval parade. It would give a reasonable explanation, as to why, there were "seven Captain First Rank officers - the most Senior Staff Officers in the Russian Navy - and two that have been awarded "Hero of Russia", a top title given out by the President".

Fourteen submariners died in a fire that broke out in a submersible vehicle in Russian waters on July 1, the Defense Ministry said in a statement released on Tuesday.

The statement, "in Russian waters" makes this incident "an International violation" among other legalities. If my understanding is within reason, Russia has "just cause - to declare WAR on the perpetuator(s)"! Reflect on that thought for awhile ... until it really sinks in!

The Navy Group consists of U.S. Flagship guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely, British frigate HMS Westminster and Turkish frigate TCG Gokova, NATO said.

The U.S. Flagship USS Gravely is a guided-missile destroyer. It is more technically advanced then the Turkish and British frigates combined.
I would imagine, it's within reason to assume - the USS Gravely is involved in the Russian sub incident and a guided missile, with locked coordinates hit the Russian sub? I'm not familiar with this kind of stuff but on a rational side, the missile could have penetrated the hull of the sub and the impact of the blast would have killed the sailors - instantly? God only knows - the condition and injuries suffered by the surviving sailors and crew!

This tragedy is so deeply depressing, emotional and personal ... if NATO/US is behind this ... one of the first steps in the right direction is to evoke and dismantle NATO - IMMEDIATELY and COMPLETELY! IT's been nothing more then a killing machine since it's inception. I wish - I could pull the plug on NATO - so my ancestors could rest in Peace.

While most American's are celebrating Independence Day today, with little thought of a war with Iran, fewer still would even imagine we're on the threshold of a war with Russia?

 

[angelburst29]

President Putin is on a one day trip to Rome. In the photo's, he looks very tired. He probably hasn't gotten much rest since the Sub incident.

Putin, visiting Italy, says wants Rome to help mend Moscow-EU ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte attend a joint news conference in Rome, Italy July 4, 2019. REUTERS/Yara Nardi

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he hoped Italy would battle to restore fully fledged relations between the European Union and Russia and help persuade the bloc's new leadership that sanctions on Moscow were counter-productive.

Putin warns that militants are flowing into Libya from Syria's Idlib

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he was worried that militants were flowing into Libya from Syria's Idlib province and warned that the Libyan situation was deteriorating.

Putin and pope hold 'substantive' talks in shadow of Ukraine crisis

Russian President Vladimir Putin thanked Pope Francis for "very substantive" talks on Thursday, a day before Ukraine's Catholic leaders were due at the Vatican.

Putin, who has met with Francis twice before, arrived an hour late. He had been 50 minutes late for their first meeting in 2013 and more than an hour late for their second in 2015 - highly unusual for world leaders meeting the pope.

“Thank you for the time you have dedicated to me,” Putin said at the end of 55 minutes of talks, helped by two interpreters.

“It was a very substantive, interesting discussion,” he told the pope within earshot of reporters as they were exchanging gifts in the frescoed private papal study, which Francis uses only for official occasions.

A Vatican statement said the talks concentrated on the situations in Syria, Ukraine and Venezuela.

Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who did not join the talks, later held a separate meeting with the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and it's Foreign Minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher.

Francis gave Putin a signed copy of his peace message for this year and a large 18th century etching of St. Peter’s Square, “so you don’t forget Rome”.

Putin gave the pope a DVD of a movie about the Renaissance master painter and sculptor Michelangelo by the Russian filmmaker Andrei Konchalovsky and a large painted Orthodox icon of the apostles Peter and Paul.

Putin is scheduled to see both the Italian President and Prime Minister later on, and is expected to return to Moscow in the evening after an official dinner.

Ukraine, which remains a bone of contention between the Vatican and Russia, was expected to be a main topic of the men’s discussion, held in the official papal library in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace.

Slideshow (5 Images)
Putin and pope hold 'substantive' talks in shadow of Ukraine crisis

Russia protests over G20 map it says showed disputed islands as Japan's
Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a formal diplomatic protest to Japan after accusing Tokyo of circulating a map at its G20 summit showing a disputed island chain as Japanese territory, the ministry's spokeswoman said on Thursday.

 

[angelburst29]

Putin bestows top state honors on sailors killed in submarine fire

Russian servicemen attend a memorial service for sailors killed in a Russian submarine, which caught fire in the area of the Barents Sea, at the Naval Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Kronstadt, Russia July 4, 2019. Anton Vaganov

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday bestowed top state honors on 14 sailors killed in a fire on a secret nuclear submarine in recognition of what the Russian military has called their outstanding bravery.

The sailors were killed on Monday when a fire broke out while their deep-water research submarine was carrying out a survey of the sea floor near the Arctic, the Russian defense ministry has said.

Moscow’s slow release of information about the incident has drawn comparisons with the opaque way the Soviet Union handled the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power station disaster, and another deadly submarine accident — the 2000 sinking of the nuclear-powered Kursk, which claimed 118 lives.

Putin, in a degree published on the Kremlin's website on Friday, gave four of the dead submarines Russia's highest award - the title of Hero of Russia. He granted another top state award - the Order of Courage - to the 10 others.

The awards underline the importance of the secretive work the men were carrying out and what the authorities say were their courageous efforts to fight the fire, something the Russian defense minister said had resulted in the vessel’s nuclear reactor being safely contained.

Putin has said that the submarine was manned by an elite and senior crew, two of whom already held the Hero of Russia title before their deadly mission.

Russian servicemen held a memorial service in the port city of Kronstadt near St Petersburg on Thursday to honor the dead submariners.


Russian Defense Ministry makes public list of sailors killed in fire onboard submersible
Russian Defense Ministry makes public list of sailors killed in fire onboard submersible

© Lev Fedoseev/TASS

MOSCOW, July 3./TASS/. The Russian Defense Ministry has made public the names of the sailors killed in the fire onboard of a Russian navy research submersible on July 1. Their photos with the names have been uploaded to the ministry’s website.

There are seven captains 1st rank among them - Denis Dolonsky, Nikolai Filin, Vladimir Abankin, Andrey Voskresensky, Konstantin Ivanov, Denis Oparin and Konstantin Somov. Also killed in the fire were three captains 2nd rank - Alexander Avdonin, Sergey Danilchenko and Dmitry Solovyov. Lieutenant-Colonel of Medical Services Alexander Vasilyev, Captain 3rd Rank Viktor Kuzmin, Captain 3rd Rank Vladimir Sukhinichev and Captain 3rd Rank Mikhail Zubkov also sacrificed their lives, saving the submersible.

According to the Defense Ministry, "all of them had repeatedly participated in most difficult underwater expeditions to explore the Arctic, submerging to maximum depths".

On Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on the death of 14 sailors during a fire onboard a submersible in Russia’s territorial waters on July 1. The accident occurred while the submersible was conducting bathymetric measurements.

The fire was extinguished thanks to the crew’s courageous efforts, the ministry emphasized. The submersible vehicle is now at the Severomorsk naval base, and the accident is being investigated.


Russian Navy starts tracking NATO warships in Black Sea
Russian Navy starts tracking NATO warships in Black Sea

British Royal Navy HMS Duncan destroyer
© EPA-EFE/YANNIS KOLESIDIS

MOSCOW, July 3, 2019 - Ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet are monitoring the British destroyer and the Canadian frigate that entered the Black Sea waters on July 2, the Russian National Defense Management Center reported on Wednesday.

"The forces and hardware of the Black Sea Fleet have begun tracking the activities of the British Royal Navy HMS Duncan destroyer and the Canadian Forces HMCS Toronto frigate, which entered the waters of the Black Sea on July 2, 2019," the statement reads.

The Kasimov small anti-submarine ship and Pytlivy patrol ship are tracking the NATO vessels, the center clarified.

The defense agency said that "naval Air Force jets and the Bal and Bastion coastal missile systems have been put on duty in designated regions". Radio electronic tracking is also being conducted.
"naval air force jets and the Bal and Bastion coastal missile systems have been put on duty in designated regions." Radio electronic tracking is also being conducted.

Currently, NATO ships are taking part in the Sea Breeze 2019 drills in the Black Sea. The exercises officially began on July 1 in the western part of the Black Sea. This year, according to the press service of the Ukrainian embassy in the US, more than 3,000 servicemen from 19 countries are participating in the drills, including those from the United States, the United Kingdom and Ukraine.
The US is playing a key role in preparing the drills' scenario and executing it. The exercises are scheduled to run until July 12.


Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and aircraft start maneuvers amid NATO’s Sea Breeze drills
Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and aircraft start maneuvers amid NATO’s Sea Breeze drills

© Sergey Malgavko/TASS

MOSCOW, July 3, 2019 - Naval groups of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and aircraft of the Southern Military District’s Air Force and Air Defense Army are practicing joint maneuvers amid NATO’s Sea Breeze drills, the Fleet’s press office reported on Wednesday.

"During the drills, the Black Sea Fleet’s warships are practicing interaction with aviation employing reconnaissance and attack systems to defend vital coastal infrastructure of the Crimean peninsula as well as measures to repel a simulated enemy’s naval groups," the press office said in a statement.


No breakthrough with Russia on INF treaty dispute: NATO's Stoltenberg

NATO and Russia did not make significant progress on saving the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) in talks at the alliance headquarters on Friday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.

NATO-Russia Council sees no progress on saving INF accord
NATO-Russia Council sees no progress on saving INF accord

BRUSSELS, July 5, 2019 - The sides of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) see no signs of progress in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty), the situation is alarming and it is likely needed to prepare for the world without this treaty, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told a press conference following an NRC ambassador-level meeting in Brussels on Friday.

"All members of the NATO-Russia Council agree that the Treaty has been crucial to Euro-Atlantic security. But the Treaty is now in danger. Unfortunately, we have not seen any signs of a breakthrough. And time is running out. All participants expressed strong commitment to effective arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation. But we must prepare for a world without the INF Treaty, which will be less stable for all of us," he said.

The NATO Secretary General put all the blame for the US unilateral withdrawal from the INF Treaty on Russia, accusing Moscow of violating the treaty. "There is only one way to save the treaty and that is by Russia coming back into compliance, but Russia showed no signs, declared no intention of withdrawing or destroying these missiles [that violate the treaty]," Stoltenberg underlined.

He emphasized that "it is possible, if they [Russia] will, they can start now to comply with the treaty in a few weeks."

 

[angelburst29]

Izvestia: Experts rule out crew error in Russian submersible accident
Press review: Who got the EU’s top jobs and what caused the Russian submersible tragedy

July 3, 2019 - A crew error could not have caused the tragedy in the Barents Sea on July 1 when 14 Russian submariners died in a fire onboard a research submersible, experts interviewed by Izvestia said. The crews of these submersibles consist of high-class professionals, who learn how to survive in emergency situations, they explained. Two of the sailors were Heroes of Russia and seven others were captains of the first rank. The tragedy occurred in Russia’s territorial waters and the fire was extinguished "thanks to the self-sacrificing actions of the team," the Defense Ministry said. Now the vessel is at the Severomorsk naval base.

The research submersible was carrying out bathymetric measurements, namely the works on examining the sea bottom, currents and the depths. Their results are important mainly for ensuring surface and underwater navigation, and may be widely used for scientific purposes.

Media reports said citing the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority that Russia had allegedly notified Norway about a gas explosion onboard a submarine in the Barents Sea. However, the Russian Defense Ministry later denied this report.

According to experts, the tragedy could have occurred onboard the Losharik nuclear deep-water station AS-12, one of Russia’s most classified naval projects. It was not earlier mentioned in official sources. The vessel belongs to the Defense Ministry’s Main Department for Deep-water Research, a structure that is directly subordinated to the top brass, Editor-in-Chief of the Military Russia Internet project Dmitry Kornev said.

REVEALED: What Actually Happened On Russia's Top Secret Submarine

Published on Jul 5, 2019 (11:29 min.) English subtitles

 

[angelburst29]

Russia buries navy officers killed in submarine fire

Buses carrying the bodies of crew members of a deep-sea research submersible drive to the Serafimovskoye memorial cemetery during a funeral ceremony in St. Petersburg, Russia. (AP)

July 06, 2019 - SAINT PETERSBURG: The funerals of 14 Russian navy officers killed in a fire on a nuclear-powered submersible in circumstances the Kremlin has not fully revealed began Saturday in Saint Petersburg amid tight security.

The officers died in the Barents Sea on Monday, but the accident was only made public a day later. Russia has said the details of the tragedy were a “state secret.”

Moscow confirmed the vessel was nuclear-powered for the first time on Friday.

The funerals were closed to the press and took place in the former imperial capital's historic Serafimovskoye Cemetery. They began amid heavy security, with military police standing outside the cemetery gates.

“You have to understand that the identities of most of the people who gathered here are secret and their faces cannot be shown,” a representative of the defense ministry said.

An AFP reporter saw 14 vehicles carrying coffins drive into the cemetery. “This is a great sorrow,” said a young woman clad in black who was attending the ceremony. She held a wreath that read “from friends and classmates.”

Some ordinary Saint Petersburg residents came to the gates of the cemetery to pay their respects to the high-ranking seamen. “I feel so sorry for them, like they were my own (family),” said 60-year old Natalya Stepanova, who lives nearby. “They are real heroes,” she said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin posthumously awarded state honors to all 14 of the submariners.

The tragedy has echoes of the sinking of the Kursk submarine in 2000, also in the Barents Sea, that claimed 118 lives and shook the first year of Putin’s presidency.

Russian media reported that the 14 seamen will be buried near a monument to the Kursk victims in the Serafimovskoye Cemetery.

Officials have released little information about the accident, saying the crew was studying the sea floor. But Russian media reported the ship was a top-secret nuclear-powered mini-submarine.

On Friday, the defense ministry confirmed for the first time that the vessel was in fact nuclear-powered. It said the fire started in the battery compartment and did not impact the vessel’s nuclear reactor.

Nearly all of the victims were highly decorated officers and included seven Captain First Rank officers — the most senior staff officers in the Russian navy.

~Rest in Peace~

 

[Niall]

This submarine incident on July 1st might have to chalked up as 'more Russian tragedy'. It's clear that the operation was meant to remain top secret: the nuclear submarine's existence was previously unknown, and the military intelligence agency running it was previously unknown. 'Exploring the depths of the Barents Sea' hardly sounds like a mission for so many specialists, with just one of them a civilian scientist. The only suspicious fact is the commencement of simultaneous NATO exercises in the Norwegian Sea, several hundred kms away, but there are no clear hints in the Russian media regarding any outside involvement.

It's possible that the sub was caught up in an unexpected natural event, like a methane rupture on the sea floor. In any event, given the personnel involved, human error is highly unlikely.

Like other tragic incidents in recent years, including ones where there are grounds for suspicion of Western involvement (Metrojet Flight 9268 over Egypt in 2015, for example), the Russians are 'taking this on the chin', reporting only the bare minimum of details and, as we see from the tight security at the funerals, keeping this tragedy 'within the family' of the Russian military-intelligence elite.

Finally, there's the 'synchronicity' of this incident with the general release of a British-French big budget movie about the Kursk incident, which will - together with the Chernobyl TV show - serve to 'confirm' and compound the 'veracity' of Western propaganda about Russia.

The Kursk, I suspect, was also likely subject to 'interference', though not necessarily of the 3D variety...

 

[Cosmos]

This submarine incident on July 1st might have to chalked up as 'more Russian tragedy'. It's clear that the operation was meant to remain top secret: the nuclear submarine's existence was previously unknown, and the military intelligence agency running it was previously unknown.

Yes this incident has triggered quite some speculations of what might really have happened. One theory (which really can't be proven one way or the other) is that a US submarine was coming dangerously close to Russia and Russia responded with torpedos, sinking the american submarine. The counter attack has apparently caused the incident on the russian ship. A lot of it is based on pure speculation and "insight sources" though: