[ The Drive ] Russian Nuclear Submarine Broke Down In Danish Waters

By | August 5, 2021

Russian Nuclear Submarine Broke Down In Danish Waters

Russia, and the Soviet Union before it, has been particularly tight-lipped about the accidents and mishaps which have impacted its submarine fleet. In 2000, the Russian Navy lost its nuclear-powered Project 949A Oscar-class submarine Kursk , killing all 118 personnel on board and leading to a major embarrassment for the country and President Vladimir Putin, who received widespread condemnation for his handling of the incident.

The Russian Oscar-II class nuclear guided-missile submarine Orel had an unknown problem with its propulsion system on July 30 while transiting Danish waters in the Baltic Sea near Denmark’s second-largest city Aarhus, prompting the Russian Navy to prepare to tow the submarine before it eventually resumed operation.

The crew of the Orel waits on the top dock while the submarine suffered a propulsion system issue. Photo: ROYAL DANISH NAVY THIRD SQUADRON VIA FACEBOOK

In a Facebook post, the Danish Navy’s Third Squadron wrote that this particular escort “will go down in history as both dramatic and exciting as the nuclear-powered submarine Orel of the Oscar-II class had problems with propulsion and lay dead in the water at Sejerø, where it drifted at 1.5 knots towards the island.” The post adds that the Danish Navy offered assistance to the submarine, which was “politely but not surprisingly declined.”

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