RUSSIA TAKE 1 OF 2 - -KURST MAY HAVE BEEN ATTACKED BY TWO FOREIGN SUBMARINES, SAYS MOSCOW PAPER

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06630267
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: March 28, 2017
• Case Number: F-2017-00105
• Publication Date: August 17, 2007

Approved for Release: 2017/03/21 C06630267
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*** Document 5 of 25 for FBS5 ME*
DOCN 005454314
FBIS FBIS 073AUG17
CLAS UNCLAS.
SUBJ RUSSIA' TAKE 1 OF 2--Kursk May Have Been Attacked by 'Two
Foreign Submarines,' Sags Moscow Paper
SERI CW118170214 Moscow Moskovskiy Komsomolets in Russian 18 Aug 00
TEXT P 1
[Article by Yurly Kochergin, Aleksandr Morozov, and Viktor
Sokirkol "Last Battle in Barents Sea? Squadron Bends But Does Not
EFBIS Translated Text] As of today there are more than enough
theories about the disaster to the multfrole nuclear submarine
Kursk' from a collision with a World War II mime to poor crew
training. The former is put forward by official Russian
representatives, the latter by Americans People have even gone so
far as to say that the submarine might have been attacked by...a
UFO!
Moskovskiy Komsomolets is publishing another theory which, let
us be frank, is equally fantastic. At least three sources agree on
the sequence of events discussed below. Thus, in high-ranking
circles it was hinted to us, under strict secrecy, that the
possibility is not ruled out that the Kursk was attacked by...two
foreign submarines and sunk by a powerful 115-48 torpedo.
This Information, let us say at once, Is absolutely without any
documentary confirmation and could be interpreted as just the usual
rumors. All the same, we felt we had no right to let it pass
unnoticed.
�Spotting the emergence of a large squadron from the
Seviromorsk base was not so very difficult, and as a consequence
two unidentified submarines were hanging around In the region of
the large-scale Northern Fleet exercises from the very first day of
the maneuvers. That is the established procedure' NATO submarines
have been sitting right on the tall of Russian submarines on paArol
duty ever since Cold War times. They also track all more or less
significant naval exercises, admittedly from a safe distance. The
Russian seamen knew very well that there were now two Los
Angeles-class US submarines close by. Thea say that at first they
did not get in the way of the progress of the exercises at all --
they kept their distance' After all, the Russian fleet was
carrying out live missile launches at training targets.
Then, It is conjectured, the situation changed: The foreign
submarines came practically right up to our squadron. In general,
according to all the written and unwritten rules, during exercises
of this kind any unidentified target that does not respond to
signals and questioning is destroyed -- that is a security
requirement.
The forces of the Northern Fleet, still according to conjecture,
made several threatening maneuvers to drive the persistent
submarines further away from the area of the exercises. At first
they did not venture to take extreme measures. Not for the time
being.
It is not ruled out that on the approach to Severomorsk the
nuclear submarine Kursk was ordered to drive away the uninvited
guests. The submarine went onto an attack course.
Let us turn to foreign sources. "Two US submarines and the
surface reconnaissance Ship the Loyal were observing the maneuvers
Involving the Kursk," a US intelligence spokesman announced in an
official press statement. "Context with the Kursk was lost soon
after the US tracking ships intercepted a twice-repeated request
from on board the Kursk to fire two torpedoes. After that there
was a big explosion, recorded by US reconnaissance ships."
Could it be that the commanding officer of the Kursk, Captain
First Rank Gennadtu Luachin, had one of the enemy boats in his
sights (to all appearances, he did not detect the second)? Mho
knows? Maybe a request to fire torpedoes was submitted to the
command. It seems that he received the command, only not to fire
for effect, but as a warning -- a double shot across the bow and
stern of the enemy submarine to show that they were not
joking. Let us remind you that all this is only at the level of
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conjecture. According to this scenario, the enemy fixed the launch
and fired a return salvo ditch the Kursk managed to dodge with an
antitorpedo maneuver. Our submarine soared up from a depth of 8,
meters to SO and prepared to surface -- the raised antennas on the
sail Indicate this. And them the most unexpected thing may have
happened: The Kursk was hit during the countermove by a torpedo
from the second submarine (the one it had not noticed). This time
the Russian submarine did not manage to dodge...
An interesting fact: A few days after thls, as one of our
sources Informed us, a certain Western special service carried out
satellite photography of the Kursk lying on the bottom of the
Barents Sea. The conclusion of the foreign experts was this: The
nature of the damage to the boat and its position on the sea bed
are consistent with. .a torpedo hit in close fighting by a ship at
a distance of 20-25 iables (about 4,500 meters).
However, if you believe all of this and think that the foreign
experts correctly analyzed the situation that led to the sinking of
the Kursk, it remains unclear why our submarine did not report the
underwater battle by radio.
...The other day Putin and Clinton had an unplanned 25-minute
telephone conversation the details of which are being kept secret.
P.S. At the Navy Main Staff press service we were informed that
among the official theories that exist at present, only the
hypothesis of a collision between the Russian submarine and a
foreign submarine is being considered. The theory about damage to
the hull of the nuclear submarine Kursk by a live torpedo or
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