[USNI News] A fire that broke out on a secret Russian submarine has killed 14 sailors, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defense in Moscow."On July 1, 14 submariners – sailors died in Russian territorial waters as a result of inhaling combustion products aboard a research submersible vehicle designated for studying the seafloor and the bottom of the World Ocean in the interests of the Russian Navy after a fire broke out during bathymetric measurements," read a translation of the statement from the state-controlled Tass news service.
The remaining crew was able to extinguish the fire, the ministry said. The incident is believed to have occurred off Russia's northern shore in the Barents Sea on Monday, but the MoD has not specified.
The submarine was towed to the Russian North Fleet headquarters in Severomork and an investigation is underway, according to the news agency.
Messages left with U.S. 6th Fleet and U.S. European Command if American assistance was requested were not immediately returned.
The boat was identified by Russian-language news service RBC as Losharik (AS-12), a nuclear-powered submarine that is widely believed to be a key asset for the Russian Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, also known as GUGI.
GUGI develops and operates a fleet of specialized submarines that Russia uses for deep sea and Moscow’s most covert operations.
Losharik is among the most mysterious of the closely guarded fleet. Fielded in the late 1990s, specifics for the nuclear-powered boat are few. It’s estimated to carry a crew of about 25 and can dive to thousands of feet below the surface, according to the Military Russia blog.
The about 2000-ton boat can travel slung under the belly of a specially modified Delta III nuclear ballistic missile submarine, according to open source intelligence analysts. The purpose and capabilities of Losharik are shrouded in mystery.