Kursk did not return: a submarine and 118 sailors died 25 years ago

Today, August 12— Russia is remembering one of the most serious and painful tragedies in the history of the Navy: the death of the Kursk nuclear submarine. Exactly 25 years ago, in 2000, during an exercise in the Barents Sea, a disaster occurred that forever changed the lives of hundreds of families and called into question the safety of the fleet.

There were 118 sailors on board the Kursk, ranging from young sailors to experienced officers. They all died. At first, the submarine simply could not be found. Then they couldn't lift it. And when international rescuers arrived, it turned out that there was no chance anymore. The submarine was lying at a depth of more than 100 meters, and time was running out against the rescuers.

It turned out later that the tragedy began with an explosion on a torpedo. The first detonation destroyed the first compartment, and the second, along the chain, destroyed the combat compartments. Many sailors may have survived in the tail section and were waiting for help. But no one heard them.

The Kursk has become more than just a ghost ship at the bottom of the sea. It has become a symbol of missed opportunities, pride, pain and loss. His death revealed problems in the management, financing of the fleet and emergency preparedness.

Today, on the anniversary, there are minutes of silence in the hero cities and at memorials. Photos of 118 sailors with smiling faces remind us that behind every tragedy there are not numbers, but people. Those who served the Motherland. Those who didn't come back.