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The Associated Press: Accident on Russian nuclear sub suffocates 20

Accident on Russian nuclear sub suffocates
20By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV – MOSCOW (AP) — The fire safety system on a brand-new Russian nuclear submarine accidentally turned on as the sub was being tested in the Sea of Japan, spewing a gas that suffocated 20 people and sent 21 others to the hospital, officials said Sunday…………………”Such a catastrophic accident calls into question the way the Russian navy has sustained its institutional knowledge in terms of design expertise, not to mention issues of quality control, both in fabrication and inspection,” Stratfor said.
Saturday’s accident came as the Kremlin is seeking to restore Russia’s naval reach, part of a drive to show off the nuclear-armed country’s clout amid strained ties with the West…………..Despite a major boost in military spending during Vladimir Putin’s eight years as president, Russia’s military is still hampered by decrepit infrastructure, aging weapons and problems with corruption and incompetence……………………Putin, now prime minister, was criticized for his slow response to the (previous) Kursk disaster.

In 2003, 11 people also died when a Russian submarine that was being taken out of service sank in the Barents Sea.

The Associated Press: Accident on Russian nuclear sub suffocates 20

November 10, 2008 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized