Sofia Pudko: “We knew that there was a collision first and then torpedoing”
Former Northern Fleet Commander Admiral Vyacheslav Popov said in a big interview with RIA Novosti that a nuclear submarine K-141 Kursk died in a collision with a NATO submarine. According to the admiral, on August 12, 2000, SOS signals not recorded by Kursk were recorded, and a special mechanism was used, which is missing on Russian boats. Popov's statement was commented on by Sofia Dudko, chairwoman of the public council “In memory of the submarines on the submarine Kursk”.
Photo: AP
– This is not new for us, we knew that first there was a collision and then the torpedoing of Kursk, – says Sofia Petrovna, who on August 12, 2000 – continue in “Kursk” killed her son, chief assistant commander, captain of the 2nd position Sergei Dudek . – Immediately after the submarine's death, no one hid her.
As we were told, this collision was accidental; it is no secret that several NATO submarines were watching the Northern Fleet exercise at the time. After a rapprochement and a collision, the commander of the American submarine apparently decided that he was going to torpedo him Gennady Ljachin (Captain of Kursk – MK ), and thus preceded his action by firing a torpedo at Kursk. We have been told that the commander of an American nuclear-powered ship can make such decisions on his own without reporting to the commander-in-chief.
This version was then followed by the Deputy Commander of the Northern Fleet and one of the leading exercises, Admiral Mikhail Motsak. And then a fairy-tale version appeared. We were friends with America then. A sharp deterioration in relations and perhaps a military conflict with the United States could not be tolerated.
– What can they change? You can't bring the boys back. Whoever wanted to know the truth knew it from the beginning. If you can't say the real reason for the death of “Kursk” at the time, I don't think they will return to it now.
– At the very beginning, we had a lawyer, Boris Kuznetsov. He tried a little. He later moved to America and published his second book, Drowning. I got it, they brought it to me, but I read it with humor, because he took Vice Admiral Valeriy Ryazanev as an expert, who was jealous of the Northern Fleet all his life for the Pacific Fleet in which he himself served. . In Kuznetsov's second book, the Americans had nothing to do with it; in the opinion of our former lawyer, they could not have blamed Kursk for his death. There were reportedly no American submarines in the area.
– The time has come for us to tell the truth. Vyacheslav Alekseevich is already an adult man, he is very ill. He apparently believes he can't leave without telling the truth.
In 2005, a film by Jean-Michel Carré was shown on French television. In his painting “Kursk. Submarine in turbulent water “The author claimed that a Russian nuclear-powered ship was torpedoed by the American submarine Memphis. According to the director's version, the exercises of the Northern Fleet were observed from two American submarines, Memphis and Toledo. “Toledo” went dangerously close under the cover of “Memphis,” which was “in the shadows.” At one point, there was a collision between the nuclear-powered Kursk and Toledo. The opening of the Kursk torpedo tube was reportedly heard. And to prevent Kursk from firing on Toledo, Memphis opened fire on the Russian submarine with an Mk-48 torpedo.
This version was not supported by the official investigation.