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International Effort Saves Crew of Disabled Russian Submarine

08 August 2005

Rescue highlights cooperation of Russia, Britain, Japan, United States

By Tim Receveur
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- Russia expressed "profound thanks" to Great Britain, the United States and Japan for responding to a call for help in rescuing seven Russian sailors who were trapped in a disabled submarine for three days on the Pacific Ocean floor.

The rescue mission, involving Russian ships, British submersibles and sailors, and American divers and a doctor, saved the crew aboard the Priz AS-28 mini-sub in an unprecedented example of military cooperation on August 7.

"Thanks to the jointly coordinated activities of Russian, British and American servicemen, this unique operation to save the crew was achieved," read a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“Russia would like to convey its profound gratitude to Britain, the U.S. and Japan, who instantly responded to Russia's plea for help in saving the crew,” the statement said.

"It's a great effort by all involved, and we're very pleased about that," said U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Mark McDonald.

The U.S. Navy said the red-and-white mini-sub became tangled in fishing net during a military exercise on August 4 in Beryozovaya Bay, 45 miles from the port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

The British remote-controlled Super Scorpio, sent in response to Russia’s urgent call for help, arrived August 6 and spent six hours the next day cutting away the fishing net cables that had snarled the Russian vessel and its propeller.

The United States also sent remote-controlled underwater vehicles for the rescue, but the vessels arrived later and were not used; however, three American divers and a doctor accompanied the British crew on its mission.

Following the rescue, a doctor from the U.S. Navy evaluated the sub crew's condition and treated the men, who had faced temperatures as low as 6 degrees Celsius (43 degrees Fahrenheit).

Following an international appeal for help from Russia on August 5, the United States, Britain and Japan immediately dispatched teams, although according to press reports, the Japanese team did not arrive in time to participate.

The commander of Russia's Pacific Fleet, Admiral Viktor Fyodorov, said the operation helped bring all of the sailors closer together -- “in this case Russian, U.S., British and Japanese sailors."

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, who went to Beryozovaya Bay to supervise the operation, highly praised the international rescue effort.

“We have seen in deeds, not in words, what the brotherhood of the sea means,” he said.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)