The barge Giant-4 with pontoons left the floating dock PD-50 at the shipyard in Roslyakovo, Murmansk region. Six tugboats led the barge to Belokamenka bay, where Giant-4 anchored.
Then operation on draining the dock of the water and recovering the Kursk has begun. On October 23rd, at 2 p.m., the Kursk was approximately 2.5 meters above the surface, and the submarines tower was visible. The investigation team led by the general prosecutor, Vladimir Ustinov, set to board the submarine. The radiation control specialists have checked the radiation levels, and reported them to be normal.
The investigators and the specialists of the radiation and chemical control will start examining the Kursk from the 9th compartment, where 11 bodies of the submariners are expected to be recovered.
It is necessary to drain the submarine of water and open the hatch of the 9th compartment in order to get into the compartment. Vladimir Ustinov assured the journalists that the causes of the Kursk catastrophe will be revealed and publicised . No secrets will be kept from the press. The only exception will be made for military and state secrets, the general prosecutor said. Vladimir Ustinov promised to provide maximum transparency and to, unrestricted, pass on the information we will receive in the course of the investigation, he added.