An operation has begun to recover the wreck of the Russian nuclear submarine, the Kursk. A total of 118 men died when the vessel sank in August of last year. A Norwegian ship carrying an international team of divers and specialists has arrived at the position on the Barents Sea where the Kursk went down. Over the next two months, they will prepare for an attempt to lift it to the surface.
The aim of the salvage operation is to bring the bodies of the crew that remains on board home for burial. There are nuclear reactors, 24 cruise missiles and a number of unexploded torpedoes on the board the vessel. The Norwegian government had called for the mission to be delayed. Ivor Kurdic of the Oslo-based environmental group, Belona, said that he believes the operation is being rushed for political reasons and risks are being ignored.
