Kursk begins move to dry dock
The wreck of the Kursk nuclear submarine began moving toward a dry dock in the northern Russian port of Roslyakovo today, despite high winds that could hinder the operation.
Adm. Vladimir Kuroyedov, the commander of the Russian navy, said the barge towing the Kursk had lifted anchor and began moving toward the dock, approximately 300 yards away. He said he hoped it would reach its destination by dusk, the Interfax news agency reported.
The Kursk, which sank in August 2000, killing all 118 men on board, was raised from the Barents Sea floor earlier this month and towed under a barge to Roslyakovo.
Kuroyedov said today’s docking operation was complicated by high winds of 11-22 mph. Earlier, officials said that the operation could be postponed if winds exceed 11 mph.
Russian officials hope that the retrieval of the Kursk will help shed light on the cause of the explosion that sank the vessel. Prosecutor General Vladimir Ustinov and a team of investigators were to depart for Roslyakovo today and begin examining the wreck tomorrow, Russian media said.
