30.03.2009 The sail (tower) of the Northern Fleet submarine Kursk, which sank with 118 sailors in the Barents Sea in 2000, was last week found rusting at a scrap metal ground in Murmansk.
The submarine sail was brought to the scrap metal ground six years ago, TV 21 reports. It was meant to be part of a memorial over the accident that was to be raised by the church Saviour on the Water in Murmansk, but because of lack of funding, no memorial has so far been made. Neither the town authorities nor the Northern Fleet or any private enterprises have given money to raise a memorial. The sum needed for the memorial is said to be a little more than 22.000 EUR. One year ago the sail was sold to a scrap metal receiving station in Murmansk by unknown persons.
Northern Fleet Commander Nikolay Maksimov has promised to take the submaine sail's fate under his personal control, Newsru.com writes. He was deeply indignant over the information about the sail being left to rust at a scrap metal ground and says he will use all his efforts to make the sail into a memorial over the accident.
The nuclear submarine Kursk sank in the Barents Sea after an explosion on board during preparations to fire dummy torpedoes. All the 118 persons on board were killed. The submarine was raised from the sea bottom in a large international operation in 2001 and brought to a ship yard in Roslyakovo for scrapping.