The nuclear-powered submarine Kursk sank in an accident on 12th August 2000 in the Barents Sea, during the first major Russian naval exercise in more than ten years, and all 118 personnel on board were killed. The crews of nearby ships felt the initial explosion and a second, much larger, explosion; yet the Russian Navy did not realise that an accident had occurred and did not initiate a search for the sub for more than six hours. Because the submarine’s emergency rescue buoy had been intentionally disabled during an earlier mission, it took more than 16 hours to locate the sunken boat.

The talk will look not only at the circumstances under which the Kursk was lost, but will also tell the story of the unique international recovery operation which, one year after the submarine sunk, successfully raised it from the sea bed – and the Royal Navy’s role in the saga.