News
Publish date: August 6, 2001
Written by: Sergey Filippov
News
According to the Northern Fleet press secretary on August 2nd, a Dutch boat delivered containers with abrasive, helium and oxygen for drilling, as well as vacuum anchors to stabilise cutting equipment on the first compartment. This equipment should be installed by August 8th. By noon on August 3rd, the work on compartment 5 were completed, two technological holes were made. The work on the outer hull of compartment 7, proceeds. In addition the marking of compartment 4 has been made, and devices for circle drilling have been installed.
A total of 5 holes have been drilled on the submarine’s hull: 2 – on the inner hull of compartment 5; 1 – on the inner hull of compartment 7; 2 – on the inner hull of compartment 8.
Relatives arriving
Relatives of the Kursk crew members are arriving at the home base of Kursk, Vidayevo settlement in Murmansk region. All relatives are expected to arrive August 12th. The relatives will stay in the hotel Uritsa and on the navy hospital ship Svir. The Northern Fleet officers will meet the relatives at the Murmansk airport and railway station. The local psychotherapists are stand-by. Last year the situation was tense and this year it is expected to be similar, thus it’s likely that some of the relatives will need help.
Throughout the past year, our mission at the Bellona Environmental Transparency Center has focused on two key, but intertwined issues—nuclear and radiation safety as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine drags on, and the worldwide influence of Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear corporation, which itself is actively involved in the war and has participated in the occupation of a Ukrainian nuclear power plant.
At the beginning of the year, reports in the German and Russian press suggested an approximate 70% increase in uranium imports from Russia to Germany in 2024. But does this reflect broader European trends? It does not. Overall, imports of uranium and nuclear fuel from Russia to Western countries actually dropped sharply in 2024. Unlike the situation in Germany, this is already an established trend.
A Lingen, Germany plant could begin producing nuclear fuel in cooperation with a subsidiary of Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation, which is directly involved in the war in Ukraine and occupying the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
In this news digest, we monitor events that impact the environment in the Russian Arctic. Our focus lies in identifying the factors that contribute to pollution and climate change.