In the cold, dark depths of the Barents Sea, one of the most advanced submarines ever built became the center of a tragedy that would haunt Russia and capture the world’s attention for years to come.

On August 12, 2000, the Russian Navy was poised to make history. Nearly a decade after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia’s Northern Fleet was set to stage its largest military exercise in years—a display of renewed strength and pride, watched closely by the world’s military observers.

At the heart of this exercise was the Kursk, a nuclear-powered Oscar II-class submarine. Stretching 505 feet and weighing nearly 24,000 tons submerged, the Kursk was a marvel of engineering and a symbol of Russia’s naval ambitions. Its double-hull design, watertight compartments, and state-of-the-art weaponry had led many in the military and media to call it “unsinkable.”

But on that fateful summer morning, the myth of the Kursk would be shattered.

A Routine Exercise Turns Catastrophic

The Kursk set out from its base at Vidyaevo on August 10, carrying 118 souls—111 crew members, five naval officers, and two civilian engineers. Its mission: to participate in a major training exercise, simulating real-world combat scenarios using dummy torpedoes.

At 8:51 AM on August 12, the Kursk received permission to conduct a torpedo training launch. Its target: a Russian battlecruiser, one of the fleet’s most formidable ships. After a brief delay, the submarine prepared to fire two practice torpedoes at 11:29 AM.

What happened next would send shockwaves—literally—across Northern Europe.

Thirty seconds after the launch, seismic monitors registered a minor disturbance, equivalent to a 1.5-magnitude earthquake. Moments later, a second, far more powerful explosion—equivalent to two or three tons of TNT—ripped through the Kursk. The blast was so intense that it was detected as far away as Alaska.

The Kursk plunged to the seabed, coming to rest 354 feet below the surface, east of the Rybachy Peninsula.

Confusion and Delayed Response

The initial response from Russian naval leadership was marked by confusion and denial. Despite failed attempts to contact the Kursk, Admiral Vyacheslav Popov, commander of the Northern Fleet, dismissed the issue as a technical glitch. It wasn’t until late that evening—more than 11 hours after the explosions—that the Navy declared an emergency and halted the exercise.

Families of the crew, left in the dark, clung to hope. The Kursk’s reputation as unsinkable gave many the belief that their loved ones could survive whatever had happened beneath the waves.

Desperate Rescue Attempts

Early on August 13, the rescue ship Rudnitsky arrived at the scene, equipped with a deep-submergence rescue vehicle (DSRV). These small submarines are designed to dock with stricken vessels and evacuate survivors. But before any rescue could begin, the Kursk had to be found.

By 9 AM, the Rudnitsky anchored above what appeared to be the submarine’s final resting place. A strange noise, initially mistaken for SOS signals, turned out to be the anchor chain scraping against the wreck.

The Russian DSRV, known as AS-34, descended to the seafloor and quickly located the Kursk. However, the vehicle was damaged during the approach and had to return to the surface. Subsequent attempts by another DSRV, AS-32, were hampered by incorrect navigation data.

Meanwhile, deep-sea cameras revealed the grim reality: the Kursk was severely damaged, partially buried in the seabed, and listing at a steep angle. Its periscope was still raised, indicating the disaster had struck at a relatively shallow depth.

Repeated efforts to attach the rescue vehicle to the Kursk’s escape hatch failed. Technical issues, rapidly depleting batteries, and worsening weather all conspired against the rescue teams.

Secrecy and International Tensions

As hours turned into days, Russian officials maintained a tight lid on information. On August 14, they told the media that the submarine had suffered only minor technical difficulties and that all aboard were alive and being supplied with air and power from the surface. In reality, there was no communication with the crew, and the situation was dire.

Offers of help poured in from Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Initially, Russia declined all foreign assistance. Only after 14 failed attempts to reach the crew did President Vladimir Putin approve international help.

When Norwegian divers finally reached the Kursk’s ninth compartment, they uncovered a scene of devastation. All 118 crew members had perished.

A Message from the Depths

Among the bodies recovered was that of Lieutenant Dmitry Kolesnikov, a 27-year-old officer. In his pocket, rescuers found a note scrawled after the explosions. It revealed that 23 men had survived the initial blasts and taken refuge in the aft compartments, waiting in darkness for rescue that would never come.

An official inquiry later concluded that these men likely died within eight hours from carbon monoxide poisoning. Some, however, have questioned this timeline, believing the survivors may have endured a slow, agonizing ordeal lasting up to three days.

Unanswered Questions and Lingering Controversy

The official investigation attributed the disaster to a faulty torpedo, whose volatile hydrogen peroxide fuel may have triggered the initial explosion. Yet suspicions have persisted. Some Russian officials and state media have suggested, without evidence, that the Kursk collided with a NATO submarine. The United States, which acknowledged having submarines in the area, has denied any involvement.

To this day, the full story of what happened aboard the Kursk remains shrouded in mystery. What is certain is the profound loss suffered by the families of the crew and the enduring questions about the Russian Navy’s response.

A Legacy of Tragedy and Caution

The sinking of the Kursk stands as a somber reminder of the risks faced by those who serve beneath the waves, and the importance of transparency and international cooperation in times of crisis.

As the world remembers the 118 lives lost, the story of the Kursk continues to echo—a tale of pride, tragedy, and unanswered questions beneath the Barents Sea.