Russian admiral: Kursk disaster caused by NATO sub

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — A retired Russian admiral has alleged that the 2000 Kursk submarine disaster was caused by a collision with a NATO sub in an unproven claim that defies the official conclusion that the country’s worst post-Soviet naval catastrophe was triggered by a faulty torpedo. Retired Adm. Vyacheslav Popov was the commander of Russia’s Northern Fleet when the Kursk exploded and sank during naval maneuvers in the Barents Sea. He charged on Monday that the NATO submarine inadvertently bumped into the Kursk while shadowing it at close distance. The Kursk sank on Aug. 12, 2000 after suffering two powerful explosions. An official probe pointed to an explosive propellant that leaked from a faulty torpedo as the cause of the catastrophe.