March 23, 2004
By Oleg Shchedrov
Reuters
Photo: Russia's navy chief said on Tuesday he had sent a nuclear-powered flagship back to base for fear it could blow up, but commentators dismissed his warning as part of an apparent power struggle among navy brass.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's navy chief said on Tuesday he had sent a nuclear-powered flagship back to base for fear it could blow up, but commentators dismissed his warning as part of an apparent power struggle among navy brass.
Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov unexpectedly ordered the 19,000-ton cruiser Peter the Great -- the pride of Russia's Northern Fleet -- to return to dock after apparently becoming alarmed at the state of maintenance of its nuclear reactor.
"The ship is in such a condition that it may blow up any minute," Interfax news agency quoted Kuroyedov as saying. "It is especially dangerous since the vessel is equipped with a nuclear reactor."
"I find more order on a small mine-trawler commandeered by a lieutenant," Interfax quoted the admiral as saying in summing up his inspection.
Kuroyedov gave the crew of the ship, already back to an unspecified base, two weeks to fix the problems. The home port of the Northern Fleet is the Arctic port of Severomorsk.
The Kirov-class vessel, its primary task to defend Russia's fleet against air and submarine attack, has 20 cruise missiles that can be equipped with nuclear warheads. It was declared the Northern Fleet's model ship last year.
It plays a key role in major naval maneuvers and hosts visits by top officials including President Vladimir Putin .
Despite Kuroyedov's tough criticism, Kommersant newspaper quoted fleet sources as saying his decision to send it back to dock was motivated by rivalries among top admirals including Kuroyedov and ship commander Vladimir Kasatonov.
RIVALRY
Kommersant said Kasatonov is a son of a former top navy official and Kuroyedov's bitter critic. It also suggested that tainting the reputation of the ship might have been part of a plan to hit at the former fleet commander sacked by Putin.
The Northern Fleet, home to most of Russia's nuclear-powered submarines, upset Putin last month when three successive missile tests failed during his pre-election visit to the scene of the country's biggest war games in two decades.
Kuroyedov spent a day on board Peter the Great last week and Interfax quoted him as saying he was unimpressed by the general disorder he witnessed.
"In areas where admirals walk around it looks all right, but in places they do not visit, the situation is such that it (the ship) may explode any minute," he said. "I mean among other things maintaining the nuclear reactor."
The role of the military in Russia's post-Cold War establishment has become more complex with the decline in standing of the armed forces, poor morale among service personnel and budget cuts.
Despite talk of military reform, the armed forces in general suffer repeated failures, mishaps and accidents.
Interfax quoted Kuroyedov as saying Tuesday that his decision was caused by a series of problems he found on the ship, including ones connected with the maintenance of the nuclear reactor.
The Northern Fleet was the scene of Russia's worst incident with a nuclear-powered vessel. The Kursk submarine sank with 118 men on board in 2000 months after Putin's first election.
Putin, who won a second four-year term in a March 14 vote, has focused much on improving the financial situation and modernization of the struggling Russian armed forces and navy.
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