A new documentary on the tragedy which saw 118 Russian crew die when a nuclear submarine exploded and sank between Russia and Norway is exploring how it shaped Vladimir Putin.
It was only three months into his new presidency on August 12 that the nation’s prized nuke-equipped sub, kursk, exploded, making it the deadliest naval incident in post-Soviet Russia.
Although the blast was so strong, with its impact being felt in Alaska, it wasn’t enough for the president to cut his holiday short.
Amid the criticism and with the eyes of the world faced towards him, this is said to have shaped him and this is now being explored in a new two-documentary 25 years later KURSK: 10 Days That Shaped Putin’, on Sky History on Tuesday.
Now, Royal Navy Commodore David Russell who led the British response to the disaster has spoken of how the tragedy might have impacted the leader.
He told the Mirror that he believes this was a ‘formative event’ in Putin’s rule which ‘set him on the path to dictatorship’.
A 1999 file photo shows the Kursk nuclear submarine in the Barents Sea near Severomorsk, Russia
A general view of the Kursk nuclear submarine’s wreck at the dry dock in the northern Russian port of Roslyakovo, on October 29 2001Â
Relatives of the crew of the Kursk submarine are overcome by emotion during a commemoration ceremony at the Russian navy base in Vidiayevo in August 2000
Amid the criticism and with the eyes of the world faced towards Putin, this is said to have shaped him
The tragedy had an impact not just on the country but on Putin’s pride.
On that Sunday, the mission was to approach a target undetected and fire a practice torpedo. But this had had high test peroxide – a very dangerous fuel that had leaked through a faulty seal.
Around 11.30am, the torpedo detonated which carved a gash in the submarine’s nose and as a result of the ensuing fire the missile heads inside it exploded.
Although the supervising crew heard the explosions, they thought this was part of the tests. They didn’t raise the alarm until 12 hours later.
The British Navy was informed about the incident on Monday morning, the following day but the Russians did not ask for help until Wednesday.
A Russian boy standing by portraits of victims of the Kursk submarine disaster, in their barracks during a first anniversary memorial ceremony at the Kursk’s home base of Vidyayevo, in Murmansk Oblast, Russia
An unidentified woman lays flowers at a casket containing the remains of a Kursk submariner which rests on top of an Armoured Personnel Carrier, during a memorial ceremony devoted to the crew of the sunken Russian nuclear submarine at the ship’s home port of Severomorsk
Two months after the sinking a note was found which has been written by one of the dead which revealed that 23 men had survived the blast but died as it was very hard to breathe in the compartment.
The Navy crew aboard the Normand Pioneer worked alongside 18 commercial divers on the Seaway Eagle to attempt a rescue.
One of them was Garry Ball, now 69, who worked for a diving salvage company tackling a project for the Norwegian government at the time.
He said: ‘We had no idea what we were dealing with. If anything went wrong – our divers would be goners.’
He went on to describe a moment when a heartbroken mother who had lost her son in the sub ranted at Army officials.
He said: ‘On the footage, a hysterical woman, whose son was one of those trapped, demanded answers from Russian officials.
‘As she continued to vent her fury, a military member stuck a tranquiliser dart into her shoulder. We had to do it for the families.’
