Robert Moore: Kursk: Putin's First Crisis and the Russian Navy's Darkest Hour

‘Prince of Darkness, The’, 210

Priz submersible, 109, 127–32, 163–6, 188, 197–103, 232, 249, 293, 307, 310–11

Pshenichnikov, Denis, 314

Putin, Vladimir, 17, 19–21, 44, 71, 148, 167, 312

dismissal of officers and, 302–5

as KGB senior intelligence officer, 277–8

response to Kursk disaster, 17–18, 115–6, 169, 193–4

visit to Vidyaevo Naval Base, 19, 20, 267–77

Rasmussen, Dag, 187, 217, 237

Red Army, 76

Regalia, 287–9, 295

Repnikov, Dmitri, 313

Rescue operations

by Norway/Britain, 171–83, 187–91, 204–7, 212–9, 223–67

by Russians, 108–111, 125–32, 163–7, 197–103, 228, 308

Ringdal, Frode, 73, 74

River Congo, 216

Rodionov, Mikhail, 312

Romaniuk, Vitaly, 313

Romanov-on-the-Murman, 83

Rose, Bob, 214, 217

Roslyakovo, 298

Rossiskaya Gazeta (newspaper), 267

Royal Marines, 183

Royal Navy, 57–8, 91, 92, 139–40, 148–9, 153, 173–4, 188, 210, 224–25, 281, 282

British/Norwegian rescue operations, 171–83, 187–91, 204–7, 212–19, 223–56

Rubin Bureau, 67, 162

Rudakov, Andrei, 40, 60, 65, 159

Rudnitsky , 303

Russell, David, 139–40, 149–51, 178, 190, 224–26, 228, 254, 263, 280–4

Russian Defence Ministry, 115–6, 167–9, 175–7, 225, 304

Russian Navy, 13

Rutskoi, Alexander, 221, 222

Ruzlev, Alexander, 312

Rvanin, Maxim, 312

Rychkov, Sergei, 313

65-76 torpedo, 53–7, 59, 66, 75

S-4 (submarine), 144

S-51 (submarine), 144

S-80 Romeo-class submarine, search for, 111–3, 158

S-178 (submarine), 88

Sablin, Yury, 313

Sadilenko, Sergei, 68, 98, 221, 293, 315

Sadkov, Alexander, 312

Sadovoi, Vladimir, 315

Safonov, Lyudmila, 273

Safonov, Maxim, 312

San Juan , 311–12

St Catherine’s Bay, 82

St Petersburg, 13, 14, 37, 38, 40, 44, 67, 68, 76, 86, 144, 203, 272, 286, 299, 301, 311, 312, 313, 314, 315, 318

Salutin, Vladimir, 286, 288

Salvage operation, 285, 297–8

Samovarov, Yakov, 312

SB-523 (tug), 104, 164

Schoenaerts, Matthias, 14

Scott, Tony, 182–4, 186, 213, 219, 233, 239–45, 248–53, 256, 282, 288

SCV 006 (Zero six), 232, 237

Sea Owl ROV, 232, 242, 244, 250

Seaway Eagle, 174, 178–82, 185, 187, 188, 189, 205, 206, 212–8, 223, 226, 230–2, 236–42, 244–57, 261, 263–5, 281–2, 307, 308

Second World War, 32, 76, 83, 90, 108, 112, 139, 149, 169, 290

Seismology, 74, 142–3

Senatsky, Yuri, 112

Serafmovskoye cemetery, 13, 14

Sergeyev, Igor, 115, 116, 168, 270, 296

Sevastopol, 13

Seventh Submarine Division, 42, 117, 304

Severodvinsk, 35

Severomorsk Naval Headquarters, 77, 101–6, 108, 111, 115, 119, 152, 171, 196, 258, 286, 296

Sevmash shipyard, 67

Sevodnya (newspaper), 229

Shablatov, Vladimir, 314

Shchavinsky, Ilya, 314

Shchegolev, Rear Admiral, 71, 105

Shepetnov, Yury, 311

Shevchuk, Alexei, 312

Shkoda, Vladimir, 195–6

Shmygin, Sergei, 287

Sholokhov, Andrei, 198–102, 249, 293, 307

Shubin, Alexander, 312

Shubin, Irina, 160

Shulgin, Alexei, 59, 311

Sidukhin, Viktor, 315

Sierra-class submarines, 152

SIGINT (signals intelligence), 77

Silogava, Andrei, 312

Skorgen, Einar, 134–9, 171–5, 189, 204–8, 214, 262, 279

Smit International, 297

Solorev, Vitaly, 313

SOSUS (Sound Surveillance System), 78, 135, 147, 155

South China Sea, 185–6

Special Air Service, 183

Special Boat Squadron, 183

Spitsbergen, 74

SSBNs, 26

SS-N-15 Starfish missile, 43

SS-N-16 Stallion missile, 29, 43

SS-N-19 Shipwreck missile, 35, 43, 49, 168, 298

Stalin, Josef, 83

Stankevich, Alexei, 313

Staruseltsev, Dmitri, 314

StatOil, 179–81

Stavanger, Norway, 174

Stolt Offshore, 174, 180–3, 185, 212–4, 218, 267

Strategic Rocket Forces, 116

Submarine Development Squadron Twelve (DEVRON 12), 26

Submarine rescue systems, 144–6, 309

Sukharev, Oleg, 40

Superoxide chemical cartridges, 93–5, 123, 292, 293, 309

Svechkarev, Vladimir, 313

Svendsen, Paal, 189, 226

Svir (hospital ship), 220

Syrian war, 313

328th Rescue Division, 286

Tapping:

by divers, 189, 242–6

rumours of, 162, 166–7, 225–26

Tavolzhansky, Pavel, 313

Teslenko, Alexander, 103, 115, 132, 198, 303

Thermal scarring, 79

Torpedoes:

HTP (high-test peroxide), 53–9, 63, 306

USET-80, 54, 58, 75

Trans-Siberian Railway, 81

Trianichev, Ruslan, 313

Trident submarines, 139

Tromsø harbour, 212–3

Troyan, Oleg, 314

Tsymbal, Ivan, 314

Tylik, Lisa, 34, 118

Tylik, Nadezhda, 119, 120, 160, 223

Tylik, Natasha, 34, 118–9, 158, 161, 220, 268, 273, 299–300

Tylik, Nicolai, 119, 222

Tylik, Sergei, 33–4, 60, 220, 268, 273, 299–300

Typhoon-class strategic submarines, 78

United Kingdom Submarine Rescue Service (UKSRS), 149, 178

US Defense Department, 74

US Navy, 38, 152–4, 173, 210

USNS Loyal, 79

USS Baton Rouge, 152

USS Grayling, 153

USS Memphis, 23–30, 77, 79, 146–7, 155, 208–9, 304

USS Scorpion , 145

USS Squalus, 144

USS Thresher, 145

USS Toledo, 27, 30, 208

USET-80 torpedo, 54, 58, 75

Ustinov, Vladimir, 302

Uzky, Sergei, 312

Vasiliena, Galina, 291

Vasiliev, Alexander, 314

Verich, Gennady, 114–5, 130, 164–6, 197, 198, 203, 206, 222, 226–29, 231–6, 239, 246, 248, 250, 254–7, 261, 264, 285, 286, 303

Victor III-class submarines, 34, 153, 210

Vidyaev, Fyodor, 32–3

Vidyaevo Naval Base, 31–4, 39, 85, 108, 117–21, 157–61, 195–6, 219–23, 267, 268

Vishniakov, Maxim, 313

Vitchenko, Sergei, 314

Vladivostok, 13, 81

Vlasov, Sergei, 313

Voronezh (submarine), 39, 107

Walker-Whitworth spy ring, 155

Western offers of help to Russia, 138–9, 146–51, 158, 167–70

White Sea, 83

Witte, Sergei, 82

Wives and families of Kursk crew, 117–9, 157–61, 192, 194, 219–23, 268, 300–1

Yakubin, Oleg, 42

Yamal peninsula, 85

Yansanov, Salovat, 314

Yasen-class attack submarines, 313

Yeltsin, Boris, 16, 17, 35

Yerakhtin, Sergei, 312

Yerasov, Igor, 313

Yevdokimov, Oleg, 39, 65

Yevdokimov, Yuri, 221, 222

Zapadnaya Litsa, 43, 76, 117

Zubaydullin, Rishat, 315

Zubov, Alexei, 59, 311

Robert Moore is an award-winning television reporter. He was ITN’s Moscow correspondent during the collapse of the Soviet Union, during which he reported throughout Russia, the Baltics and the Caucasus. As ITN’s Diplomatic and Foreign Affairs Editor he covered multiple wars in Chechnya, the Balkans, Africa and the Middle East. He is currently the Washington correspondent for ITV News. Kursk , first published as A Time to Die , was an acclaimed international bestseller in the UK and overseas and has now been translated into a dozen languages. Colin Firth called it the most compelling story of men and adversity since Michael Herr’s Dispatches .

‘What is striking is the human tragedy: the bravery of the crew, the effect of the tragedy on those ashore, the dramatic and doomed rescue attempts and the chilling fate of the 23 survivors of the initial explosion… Harrowingly detailed’