Two days after a fire on a Russian deep-water submersible killed 14 crew members, Moscow remains tight-lipped about the incident.
The Kremlin says the information about the vessel and its assignment is top secret, but this is what we do know.
What happened?
According to the Russian defence ministry, a fire broke out on a scientific research deep-water vessel when it was studying the sea floor inside Russian territorial waters in the Barents Sea.
The fire was put out thanks to the "heroic actions of the team", but toxic fumes killed 14 people, the ministry said.
The accident happened on Monday, July 1, but the defence ministry only issued a statement on Tuesday.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the crew managed to evacuate a civilian and then closed the hatch to contain the fire.
President Vladimir Putin's spokesman said the Russian leader was immediately notified. But he also said that not all the information could be made public.
"There is information that is categorised as a state secret," said Dmitry Peskov, adding it was classified "in the interest of the state and state security".
Norway's radiation authority told AFP on Tuesday that Moscow had informed it of a "gas explosion" on board the sub.
But the Russian defence ministry denied it had contacted Norway about the accident.
Shoigu said there were survivors of the fire but did not say how many or offer further details.
Who was on board?
Putin on Tuesday said that the crew was "highly professional" and included seven Captain First Rank officers -- a top rank usually held by commanding officers of important ships or submarines.
Two of the crew members were recipients of the Hero of Russia award, a top honour given out by the Russian president.
The acting governor of Saint Petersburg, Alexander Beglov, said Wednesday that the crew of the submersible was based in the city. "It departed on its last trip from Saint Petersburg," he said.
Kommersant daily said the crew members were based at a military base in Petergof, a Saint Petersburg suburb. The base answers to the secretive Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research (GUGI), it said.
GUGI is "one of the most secret facilities in Russia," responsible for sub-surface ocean monitoring and commands atomic-powered, deep-water mini spy subs, said Bruce Jones, an expert with defence and security analysts IHS Jane's.
The names and photographs of the crew members were released on Wednesday evening, apparently under pressure from critics. Nearly all of the victims were highly decorated officers.
The defence ministry described them as "true patriots" and top professionals, adding they had repeatedly taken part in expeditions to study the Arctic and plunged to "maximum depths."
Russia has been involved in the battle for the Arctic, staking a claim for the Arctic Ocean and its riches.
What kind of vessel was involved?
The Kremlin has said it will not release information on the type of vessel involved.
Russian business daily RBC and independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported, citing sources, that the accident happened on the AS-12, a nuclear-powered mini submarine capable of plunging to extreme depths and carried by a "mother" submarine.
Kremlin spokesman Peskov refused to comment on the reports.
What's next?
Putin has sent his defence minister Shoigu to Severomorsk, where the damaged vessel is located, to personally oversee the progress of the investigation.
The probe is being headed by Russian Navy commander Nikolai Yevmenov.
The Investigative Committee said it is also looking into what happened.
Two days after a fire on a Russian deep-water submersible killed 14 crew members, Moscow remains tight-lipped about the incident.
The Kremlin says the information about the vessel and its assignment is top secret, but this is what we do know.
What happened?
According to the Russian defence ministry, a fire broke out on a scientific research deep-water vessel when it was studying the sea floor inside Russian territorial waters in the Barents Sea.
The fire was put out thanks to the “heroic actions of the team”, but toxic fumes killed 14 people, the ministry said.
The accident happened on Monday, July 1, but the defence ministry only issued a statement on Tuesday.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the crew managed to evacuate a civilian and then closed the hatch to contain the fire.
President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said the Russian leader was immediately notified. But he also said that not all the information could be made public.
“There is information that is categorised as a state secret,” said Dmitry Peskov, adding it was classified “in the interest of the state and state security”.
Norway’s radiation authority told AFP on Tuesday that Moscow had informed it of a “gas explosion” on board the sub.
But the Russian defence ministry denied it had contacted Norway about the accident.
Shoigu said there were survivors of the fire but did not say how many or offer further details.
Who was on board?
Putin on Tuesday said that the crew was “highly professional” and included seven Captain First Rank officers — a top rank usually held by commanding officers of important ships or submarines.
Two of the crew members were recipients of the Hero of Russia award, a top honour given out by the Russian president.
The acting governor of Saint Petersburg, Alexander Beglov, said Wednesday that the crew of the submersible was based in the city. “It departed on its last trip from Saint Petersburg,” he said.
Kommersant daily said the crew members were based at a military base in Petergof, a Saint Petersburg suburb. The base answers to the secretive Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research (GUGI), it said.
GUGI is “one of the most secret facilities in Russia,” responsible for sub-surface ocean monitoring and commands atomic-powered, deep-water mini spy subs, said Bruce Jones, an expert with defence and security analysts IHS Jane’s.
The names and photographs of the crew members were released on Wednesday evening, apparently under pressure from critics. Nearly all of the victims were highly decorated officers.
The defence ministry described them as “true patriots” and top professionals, adding they had repeatedly taken part in expeditions to study the Arctic and plunged to “maximum depths.”
Russia has been involved in the battle for the Arctic, staking a claim for the Arctic Ocean and its riches.
What kind of vessel was involved?
The Kremlin has said it will not release information on the type of vessel involved.
Russian business daily RBC and independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported, citing sources, that the accident happened on the AS-12, a nuclear-powered mini submarine capable of plunging to extreme depths and carried by a “mother” submarine.
Kremlin spokesman Peskov refused to comment on the reports.
What’s next?
Putin has sent his defence minister Shoigu to Severomorsk, where the damaged vessel is located, to personally oversee the progress of the investigation.
The probe is being headed by Russian Navy commander Nikolai Yevmenov.
The Investigative Committee said it is also looking into what happened.
