This morning, the Russian deputy premier, Ilya Klebanov, visited shipyard no.82, where Kursk is to be docked after lifted from the bottom of the Barents Sea. The weather is good in the salvage area, so the divers will continue to work in the evening.
The management of shipyard no.82 reported to Ilya Klebanov that they are prepared to receive Kursk. The deputy premier talked to the workers who will be engaged in the docking operation. Later Mr Klebanov and the chief in charge of the Russian Navy, Vladimir Kuroedov, held a meeting in the Northern Fleet headquarters, discussing the details of the Kursk lifting operation.
According to the head of the Northern Fleet press service, Vladimir Navrotsky, Mammoet is to make the final decision about the date of the lifting. He said that it is possible that the third procedure of the salvage operation, namely transporting Kursk to the dock, may take place in the end of the week.
The Russian deputy premier, Ilya Klebanov, while onboard the cruiser Peter the Great, said the weather in the salvage area had improved and that the divers would start to install the cables in the guides this evening. The first cable will be installed on compartment 5, and within 2-3 days the entire work will be completed.
Mammoet representative Larisa van Seymeren said that if all goes well the lifting operation should take place on October 3rd or 4th. The lifting itself will take 10-12 hours. Answering the question about the first compartment, Smith International representative Lars Valder said that he was convinced the first compartment was cut off, or that only few centimetres remained. Anyhow this would not obstruct the lifting operation. If necessary, the divers can solve the problem.
