In the worst peacetime disaster experienced by the Russian Navy, on 12 August 2000 the state-of-the-art nuclear-powered Kursk submarine sank with the loss of 118 officers and crew. The sinking was a humanitarian, environmental, and military catastrophe for Russia, and a powerful political reversal for President Putin But what really happened? Peter Truscott, former Foreign Affairs and Defence spokesperson in the European Parliament and Vice-President of the Security Committee, aims to provide the answers. An expert on Russia, with a modern history doctorate from Oxford University, Truscott has met President Mikhail Gorbachev, three Russian Prime Ministers, two parliamentary Speakers and the leaders of all Russia's political parties over the past decade. For this book, the author has also interviewed relatives of the crew; Russian, British and American nuclear submarine commanders; international torpedo experts; politicans; diplomats; British and Norwegian rescue teams and their leaders; submariners; seismologists and members of the defence and intelligence communities This work vividly re-creates the terrible final hours of the crew as they waited in vain for rescue .
- ISBN10 074344941X
- ISBN13 9780743449410
- Publish Date 7 April 2003 (first published 12 August 2002)
- Publish Status Unknown
- Out of Print 3 August 2006
- Publish Country US
- Publisher Simon & Schuster
- Imprint Pocket Books
- Edition New edition
- Format Paperback
- Pages 288
- Language English