Fuel Leak Led To Kursk Explosion, Russia Says

Naval Submarine League Update
July 05, 2002

From: Bill Decker bdecker@shentel.net
Sent: Saturday, July 06, 2002 9:00 AM

 Washington Post

  July 2, 2002

  Pg. 11

  Fuel Leak Led To Kursk Explosion, Russia Says

   By Associated Press

MOSCOW, July 1 -- The Russian government said today that leaky  Torpedo fuel caused the explosions that destroyed the Kursk nuclear submarine, wrapping up a nearly two-year investigation into   one of the country's worst post-Soviet disasters.  

The announcement that the vessel was destroyed by an internal Malfunction  -- and not a foreign submarine, as had once been theorized-was an uncomfortable admission for Russia's struggling  military. The Kursk was one of the navy's most advanced submarines when it sank in the Barents Sea in August 2000, killing all 118 men aboard.  

Industry and Science Minister Ilya Klebanov, who led the commission  investigating the disaster, said a leak of hydrogen peroxide used to fuel the 65-76 Kit (Whale) torpedo was at fault, according to the Interfax news agency. The conclusion was unanimous Saturday at the commission's last meeting, Klebanov said. 

"The reason for the accident was a thermal explosion of torpedo fuel   components. It occurred as a result of a leak of hydrogen peroxide and the ignition of materials in the torpedo apparatus," Klebanov was quoted as saying.

The torpedo fuel caused one explosion that killed all crew members  in the submarine's first compartment and some in the next   compartment, another commission member, Vice Admiral Valery Dorogin, was quoted by Interfax as saying.