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Russia Denies "Kursk" Collision with Russian Ship Or Sub
The Russian Navy Wednesday categorically denied media reports that the sunken nuclear submarine Kursk may have collided with a Russian military vessel or a submarine.
Reports appeared earlier that the Kursk may have collided with a large Russian anti-submarine ship, the Marshal Ustinov, or a Russian strategic submarine Project 941 (Typhoon by NATO classifications), which had been near the area during the naval exercises and had supposedly hit the Kursk's bow compartments underwater.
Russia's Northern Fleet spokesman Vladimir Navrotsky, who was deputy commander of the Marshal Ustinov until recently, said that the ship returned from exercises on August 11, one day before the sub accident.
"It (Ustinov) is not being repaired and is ready to go to sea at any moment," the Interfax news agency quoted Navrotsky as saying.
Spokesman for the Russian Navy Igor Dygalo denied reports that the Kursk may have collided with a Typhoon class submarine.
"Russian submarines of this type are based in Zaozyorsk in the Murmansk region and have a displacement of up to 30,000 tons," he said.
"Not a single submarine of this class is currently undergoing repairs," Dygalo said.
This information has also been confirmed by Navrotsky, said Interfax.
Meanwhile, Russia and Norway also denied reports of high radiation levels in the waters of the sub wrecking in Barents Sea.
The Russia Navy and the Norwegian State Radiation Safety Agency has not registered any rise in radiation levels in the Barents Sea, the Itar-Tass news agency cited "well-informed" sources as saying Wednesday.
The sources said that the agency had analyzed all water samples taken near and inside the sunken Russian submarine Kursk and had stated that "radiation levels are normal."
"Water samples were taken during the operation to rescue the submarine crew. The Norwegian divers also took air samples in the area of the accident. The radiation situation in the Barents Sea is being monitored," Tass quoted Norwegian sources as saying.
"Neither the Norwegian nor any other stations in the distress area have registered any increase in radiation levels," the sources said.
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