The Sunken Soviet Submarine That’s Leaking Vast Quantities Of Deadly Waste
The city surrounded by seas.
The “Komsomolets,” which translates as “member of the Young Communist League,” was meticulously crafted in the Severodvinsk shipyard. Severodvinsk is a sprawling city located in the northwestern region of Russia. It nestles by the White Sea, adjacent to both the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea, making it an essential maritime hub.
Severodvinsk holds a special place of distinction within the shipbuilding industry. Its prominence and strategic importance are such that, for the most part, it remains off-limits to foreigners, a policy that persists to this very day.
The arms race continues.
Once the intricate construction of the Komsomolets was finalized, the submarine was prepared and primed for its maiden voyage. However, a significant impediment loomed over its journey: The Cold War was in full swing, casting a shadow of uncertainty and potential peril over every naval mission.
The Cold War was an era characterized by an intense rivalry. For nearly four decades, the communist Soviet Union and the Western powers, spearheaded by the United States, found themselves locked in ideological and military opposition. Within this vast geopolitical chessboard, the Komsomolets submarine was more than just a vessel – it was a critical piece in the arms race between these two global blocs.
Ready for combat.
The Komsomolets belonged to the illustrious Proyecto 685 Plavnik lineage, standing out as the sole submarine of its kind ever constructed. While its initial design was envisioned as a prototype for the next wave of Soviet nuclear submarines, upon its completion, it was fully geared for active patrols and combat situations.
Despite its advanced technological capabilities and its meticulous design, fate, it seemed, had other plans for the Komsomolets submarine. Unbeknownst to many, its destiny was preordained, and tragedy loomed on the horizon.
Transporting a deadly cargo.
On the fateful day of April 7, 1989, as the Komsomolets submerged into the depths of the Barents Sea, it harbored two deadly plutonium-packed nuclear weapons. In addition to this lethal arsenal, the submarine was powered by an onboard nuclear reactor, making its operations even more critical.
The full magnitude of this tragedy can be understood by the fact that the Komsomolets was fully armed at the time of its sinking. Given its lethal arsenal, it’s not surprising that experts have since been deeply concerned about potential leaks from the submarine’s deadly cargo.
Hidden beneath the waves.
But, the inception of this nuclear transition can be traced back to January 1955. This was the pivotal moment when the USS Nautilus, the world’s inaugural nuclear-powered submarine, embarked on its groundbreaking journey. What sparked this significant shift to a predominantly nuclear fleet?
The advantages of a nuclear-powered submarine were numerous and transformative. Chief among them was its ability to remain submerged for significantly extended durations, far surpassing the capabilities of conventional vessels.
The nuclear playground.
In stark contrast, traditional diesel submarines faced the limitation of frequently resurfacing to recharge their electric batteries. Consequently, their nuclear counterparts, with their enhanced stealth capabilities, were far more elusive and challenging to track down.
Such submarines, fueled by nuclear reactors, represented a quantum leap in naval warfare. Their prolonged submersion ability offered tactical advantages that traditional diesel-powered submarines could never match.
Disaster strikes.
While the United States took the initial lead in rolling out nuclear submarines, the Soviet Union was hot on their heels. By 1957, they introduced their first operational nuclear submarine to the world, christened the K-3 Leninsky Komsomol.
Yet, naval advancements were not without their drawbacks. Much like its successor, the Komsomolets, this trailblazing vessel met with a catastrophic event, resulting in a heart-wrenching loss of numerous lives.
39 souls lost.
A tragic episode unfolded in 1967 when the Leninskiy Komsomol was navigating the Norwegian Sea. A devastating fire engulfed the submarine. The automated fire suppression system inadvertently filled the vessel with lethal concentrations of carbon dioxide, leading to the tragic suffocation of many Soviet sailors. This heart-wrenching incident resulted in a staggering loss of 39 brave souls.
It’s a tragic irony that a system designed to safeguard the crew became an instrument of their demise. Even more haunting is how this event eerily foreshadowed the disaster that would later befall the Komsomolets in 1989.
The rush to arm.
Amidst the escalating arms race, the U.S.’s strides in nuclear submarine development provided them an early advantage in this high-stakes face-off. Given the strategic edge these vessels offered, it was only logical that the next progression was to equip them with nuclear weapons.
Once again, it was the Americans at the forefront of naval innovation. The USS George Washington, boasting Polaris warheads, became a beacon of this era’s technological prowess.
Another disaster.
The George Washington embarked on its strategic patrol in the chilly November of 1960. Fast-forwarding to a year later, the Soviets were quick to follow suit. They proudly unveiled their own nuclear-weapon laden submarine, the formidable K-19.
However, the journey of this submarine was marred with misfortunes. Even before its official launch, it was plagued by numerous accidents, leading to the tragic loss of eleven lives. Yet, this was just a precursor to an even graver destiny that awaited.
The curse of K-19.
In the year 1961, the brave crew aboard the K-19 faced an unimaginable threat. Due to a grave malfunction in the reactor system, they were unknowingly exposed to dangerous levels of radiation. This tragic event had a lasting impact; over the next two years, a staggering total of 17 submariners succumbed to radiation poisoning, leaving behind a somber legacy.
Despite undergoing repairs and returning to active service, the submarine’s troubled history would continue. In 1972, a devastating fire broke out on board, culminating in the tragic deaths of an additional 30 crew members.