Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Teams of Russian and Norwegian divers on Saturday entered the waters where the Kursk nuclear submarine sank and prepared to cut into the hull, officials said.
Teams of Russian and Norwegian divers on Saturday entered the waters where the Kursk nuclear submarine sank and prepared to cut into the hull, officials said.
The divers arrived at the site Friday, after months of planning, and immediately began preparations for recovering the bodies of the 118 sailors inside the submarine, Navy spokesman Capt. Igor Dygalo said.
"Around 1 a.m. in the morning Moscow time, divers started submerging with the aim of inspecting and preparing the hull of the submarine for cutting openings," Dygalo said.
Birger Haraldseid, a spokesman for the Norwegian subsidiary of Halliburton, the Dallas-based oil services company, said from Norway that the dive was on schedule and there were no problems so far.
"They are now preparing to get the cutting equipment in place and this work will take most of today," Haraldseid said.
The divers sailed Friday from the Norwegian port of Hammerfest on the mother ship Regalia. They found calm seas in the Barents Sea area where the Kursk exploded and sank on Aug. 12 and the weather in the region Saturday was good, Haraldseid said.
However, meteorologists have warned that the seas could grow rough next week, complicating the salvage effort.
Dygalo said, "the practical preparatory stage pursues the aim of creating all the necessary conditions for the penetration of the compartments of the submarine Kursk."
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov said on Friday that it would take until Monday to conclude preparations for the actual rescue work. "The operation will likely start Tuesday or Wednesday," Klebanov said.
Halliburton is working with Russia's Rubin military design bureau to organize the recovery, in which divers would cut holes in the submarine's double hull to pull bodies or body parts out into the ocean to bring to the surface.
All 118 seamen on board the Kursk died when the submarine exploded and sank during naval exercises in the Barents Sea. Russian officials have not determined the cause of the accident. They are considering an internal malfunction, a collision with a Western submarine or collision with a World War II-era mine.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments