RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 4, No. 205, Part I, 23 October 2000

DIVERS BEGIN WORK TO RETRIEVE 'KURSK' CREW BODIES. Russian and Norwegian
divers, working in shifts over the past weekend, have cut through the outer
hull of the sunken "Kursk" nuclear submarine and removed an industrial
rubber coating between the outer and inner hulls. Work on cutting into the
thicker inner hull began on 23 October and is not expected to be completed
until the following day, according to Russia navy spokesman. However, as
weather conditions deteriorate in the Barents Sea, it is feared that the
work of the divers may be complicated. Russian Navy Commander-in Chief
Vladimir Kuroedov cautioned the diving teams on 20 October not to take any
excessive risks in carrying out the operation to retrieve at least some of
the remains of the 118 crew members, Interfax reported. Earlier, he had
suggested that the operation might not take place at all (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 20 October 2000). Only Russian divers are to enter the
submarine. JC

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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 4, No. 205, Part I, 23 October 2000