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Agence France-Presse

Fourteen seamen have died in a fire on a deep-sea submersible, Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday, the latest in a string of disasters and accidents to hit the country’s navy.
The tragedy in the far north has echoes of the sinking of the Kursk submarine in 2000 that claimed the lives of 118 personnel and shook the first year of Vladimir Putin’s presidency.

“On July 1, a fire broke out during biometric measurements on a scientific research deep-sea submersible,” the defence ministry said.
The crew members were killed by poisoning from the fire’s fumes, a ministry spokeswoman confirmed.
The fire has been put out, the ministry said, adding an investigation was under way.
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“The investigation is being conducted by the commander-in-chief of the navy.”
The research in Russia’s territorial waters was being conducted to study areas near the seabed and on the seabed itself in the interests of the navy, according to the ministry.
The vessel is now situated at a military base in the closed northern city of Severomorsk, which is located on the Kola Peninsula above the Arctic Circle.

The defence ministry provided no other details, and Putin has yet to respond publicly to the disaster.
A military expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, discounted claims that the fire happened during scientific research.
“Usually it’s a cover for a different type of work conducted on the seabed” like laying cables, the expert said.
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The RBC newspaper, citing a source in law enforcement agencies, said the accident took place in the submersible deployed from the AC-12 nuclear submarine known as Losharik.
Novaya Gazeta independent newspaper said, citing sources, that the fire took place aboard the AC-12 submarine, killing the entire crew of 25 officers.
Russia has seen a number of such accidents in the post-Soviet period.
In August 2000, the Kursk submarine sunk in the Barents Sea with the loss of all 118 aboard.
An inquiry found that a torpedo had exploded, detonating all the others.

Putin, who stayed on holiday for several days after the disaster, was severely criticised for his response.
Moscow also controversially turned down foreign offers of assistance for the rescue effort.
In another accident in 2008, 20 people – three naval officers and 17 civilians – were killed by poison gas after a vessel’s fire-extinguishing system was accidentally activated during trials in the Sea of Japan, or East Sea.
In 2011, one of Russia’s biggest nuclear submarines caught fire while undergoing repairs in dock in the northern Murmansk region.
Later it was reported it was armed with long-range nuclear missiles when it caught fire.


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Russia

Fire on Russian deep sea vessel kills 14

The vessel is now situated at a military base in the closed northern city of Severomorsk above the Arctic Circle. Photo: AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Osaka on June 29, 2019, following their talks on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit. (Pool photo)(Kyodo) ==Kyodo

epa07689595 (FILE) - An undated aerial view of the Russian Navy base in Severomorsk (Murmansk region), Russia, reissued 02 July 2019. According to media reports citing the Russian Ministry of Defense, a fire incident inside a Russian submarine has left 14 people dead. The vessel is apparently part of the Northern Fleet, which is based in Severomorsk. EPA-EFE/STR *** Local Caption *** 99327483

In this video grab provided by the RU-RTR Russian television via APTN , Russia rescue personnel return from a dive in a mini submarine to the Kursk on the sea bed in the Barents Sea, Russia. The Russian military says that a fire on one of its deep-sea submersibles has killed 14 sailors. The Defense Ministry says that the blaze erupted Monday while the vessel was performing tests in Russia's territorial waters. (RU-RTR Russian Television via AP)

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US President Donald Trump with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during the G20 summit in Osaka. Photo: Agence France-Presse

epa07679049 Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with US President Donald J. Trump (R) during their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, 28 June 2019. The summit gathers leaders from 19 countries and the European Union to discuss topics such as global economy, trade and investment, innovation and employment. EPA-EFE/MICHAEL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/KREMLIN POOL

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Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping at a summit in India in 2016. Photo: AP

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Russia & Central Asia

The country’s defence ministry said the submersible was conducting scientific research within Russian territorial waters at the time of the disaster
A military expert said it was more likely that a ‘different type of work’ was being carried out on the seabed, such as laying cables


The tragedy in the far north has echoes of the sinking of the Kursk submarine in 2000 that claimed the lives of 118 personnel and shook the first year of Vladimir Putin’s presidency.


Vladimir Putin

Defence