To return to the main
Pacific Fleet entry, see the Pacific Fleet
file.
For information on SLBM test launches, START-accountable launchers and
warheads, and other SSBN-related developments, please see the SSBN Force
subsection of the Russian
Nuclear Weapons section.
12/6/2002: FIRE ON MISSILE CRUISER ADMIRAL LAZAREV
On 6 December 2002, a fire was reported on the nuclear-powered Pacific Fleet missile cruiser Admiral Lazarev, moored
in Abrek Bay, near the town of Shkotovo.[1,2] The cruiser is officially in reserve status and is in
long-term storage [2]. The fire broke out at 3:15am in non-living
quarters. It was extinguished by rescue forces in four hours. There
were no casualties. The incident was reported to the central command center of
the Russian Navy. A commission is investigating the cause of the incident.[3]
11/21/2002: NUCLEAR SUBMARINES CATCH FIRE
On 21 November 2002, a decommissioned nuclear-powered submarine in Pavlovsk
Bay caught fire. For more information, see the
11/21/2002 entry in the
Pavlovsk file. This is the second submarine
fire in two weeks. For information on an earlier fire at Zvezda Shipyard,
see the 11/12/2002 entry in the
Bolshoy Kamen file.
9/19/2002: CONFERENCE ON SUBMARINE DISMANTLEMENT ISSUES HELD IN VLADIVOSTOK
From 16 to 20 September 2002,
Russia's Ministry of Atomic Energy
sponsored a conference, entitled "Ecological Problems in Nuclear-Powered
Submarine Dismantlement and the Development of Nuclear Power in the Region" in
Vladivostok. Invitees included Minatom and Defense Ministry experts as well as
governmental and other experts from the United States, Japan, the United
Kingdom, France, Norway, and additional countries. While the experts agreed that
Russia has decommissioned 190 nuclear submarines, the number still
awaiting dismantlement was the subject of some dispute at the conference. (For the official Minatom tally, see the
9/15/2002 entry, below). According to Nikolay Lysenko,
director of
DalRAO,
43 nuclear submarines in the Pacific Fleet are awaiting dismantlement, while an
additional three vessels with damaged reactors await entombment.[1,2] Viktor D.
Akhunov, head of the Minatom Directorate for the Environment and Nuclear Facility
Decommissioning, said that of 76 decommissioned Pacific Fleet submarines, 21 had
been dismantled (114 vessels have been decommissioned in the Northern Fleet, and
50 dismantled).[1] Another source listed 76 defueled submarines in all of
Russia, of which 21 have been dismantled. This source also recorded 42
reactors still loaded with fuel, some of which have been removed from the
submarines.[3] Of the decommissioned vessels, several must be moved from
Sovetskaya Gavan (Khabarovsk Kray) and
Kamchatka
to Primorye for scrapping. In
addition, to make the complete dismantlement of these boats possible, facilities
for the processing and storage of reactor compartments must be built. Together
with environmental rehabilitation, DalRAO's Lysenko
put the total cost at over a billion dollars.[2] Construction of an on-shore
reactor compartment storage facility in Primorye is scheduled to begin next
year.[1]
9/15/2002: MINATOM REPORT ON NUMBER OF SUBMARINES AWAITING DISMANTLEMENT
A 15 September 2002 report by
Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy Valeriy Lebedev,
who is responsible for submarine dismantlement issues, indicated that as of 1
September 2002 76 Pacific Fleet nuclear-powered submarines had been
decommissioned, of which 21 have been dismantled. Of the
remaining 55 vessels awaiting dismantlement, 13 have been defueled, while 42
still have fueled reactors. Three of the fueled submarines have damaged
reactors. In addition, there are nine service ships that need to be
dismantled in the next few years.[1] A report on Far Eastern radiation
issues by Mikhail Netecha, of the
Scientific Research and Design Institute of Energy Technologies (NIKIET),
further divided these submarines by region as follows: of the 55 vessels
awaiting dismantlement, 35 are in Primorye and 20 in Kamchatka.
Twenty-eight of the vessels in Primorye and 14 in Kamchatka have fueled
reactors, while a total of 26 submarines in Primorye and eight in Kamchatka have been defueled
(these last two figures include some dismantled submarines).[2]
2/4/2002: EARLY CHECHEN PLAN TO HIJACK A PACIFIC FLEET NUCLEAR SUBMARINE
DISCOVERED
On 4 February 2002, NTVRU reported that during a
military operation in the Chechen republic plans to hijack a Russian nuclear
submarine in 1995-1996 had been uncovered. According to General-Lieutenant
Vladimir Moltenskoy, the commander of Russian troops in the Northern Caucasus, the
hijackers intended to demand that the Russian government recognize Chechen
independence and withdraw troops from the republic.[1] The operation's target
was one of the Pacific Fleet submarines in Primorskiy Kray.
According to the plan, a group of seven persons
of Slavic origin were to board a submarine, place explosives in the torpedo,
battery and reactor compartments as well as near the warhead of one of the missiles.
The office of the Federal Security Service in the Pacific Fleet said that an
investigation is under way, but refused to make any additional comments on the
issue.[2] The plan was prepared by Islam Khasukhanov, chief of staff of the
Chechen armed forces and a former officer in the Soviet Navy, who,
according to Kommersant, had served as a deputy commander on a nuclear
submarine. Khasukhanov was arrested by the Russian federal armed forces in
Chechnya on 22 April 2002.[3]
10/18/2001: TWO CRUISE MISSILES LOST DURING NAVAL
EXERCISES NEAR KAMCHATKA COAST
On 18 October 2001, Rossiyskaya gazeta reported
that Pacific Fleet divers were searching for two cruise missiles that failed
to launch properly during Naval exercises in early October and subsequently
plunged into the sea. One "surface to sea" missile was fired by
the shore defense unit of the Kamchatka flotilla; its main engine failed
and the missile fell into the sea about 50m from the shore. Another missile
(believed by CNS to be a P-700 Granit [NATO name SS-N-19 'Shipwreck'] missile)
was fired by an Antey-class [NATO name 'Oscar II'] SSGN. This missile left the
submarine's firing tube but later plunged into the sea at a depth of about
1.5km.[1] In an interview that appeared in Ogonek magazine on 1 October 2001, Russian Navy spokesperson Igor Dygalo said that an
Antey-class
[NATO name 'Oscar II'] SSGN "had just conducted two successful Granit
missile launches" without mentioning where those launches took place.[2]
6/15/2001: ATTEMPT TO STEAL 70 PACIFIC FLEET SUBMARINE
PALLADIUM AIR FILTERS FOILED
On 15 June 2001, a lieutenant and a seaman presented forged documents at a Pacific Fleet supply storehouse in Primorskiy
Kray and attempted to obtain 70 submarine air filters. The value of filters is estimated at over 7 million rubles (over $240,000
as of 15 June 2001); each filter contains 135g of palladium. The thieves
planned to sell stolen shipment in China but the truck with the
filters was detained while leaving the storehouse.
4/28/2001: NAVY OFFICERS CHARGED WITH THEFT OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
On 17 April 2001, four servicemen were arrested on the
Kamchatka Peninsula on suspicions that they were stealing non-ferrous metals
from submarines. The group included both sailors and officers.[1] On
20 April 2001, two navy officers were arrested in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy
while trying to sell items containing radioactive materials. The items were
parts of a submarine's radio-navigational equipment. According to Yuriy Sazonov,
military prosecutor of the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy garrison, the stolen
items could have come from a nuclear submarine. He also said that this is the fifth case
involving attempts by military staff to sell military property this year. The
two officers have been released to the regiment in which they serve, until the
completion of examinations of the stolen goods by the Kamchatka Oblast Environmental Committee and
the Radiation Measurement Center of the Kamchatka Directorate for Civil Defense
and Emergency Situations.[2,3,4]
4/11/2001: SSNS AT ZAVETY ILYICHA HEAD FOR
DISMANTLEMENT
The last three nuclear submarines at Zavety
Ilyicha will be transported to Zvezda
Shipyard for dismantlement in fall 2001. All three submarines, each of
them more than 25 years old, were the cause of growing nuclear safety concerns
among the local population, especially after the navy discontinued regular underwater checks of the submarines
for damage and corrosion.[1,2,3]
2/22/2001: PLATINUM CATALYSTS STOLEN FROM AT LEAST
SIX SUBMARINES
In February 2001, the Kamchatka military court started
criminal hearings against 11 sailors charged with stealing and selling platinum
catalysts from submarine oxygen-generating respirator canisters. The 22kg
platinum catalysts contain 114.4 grams of platinum; it is virtually impossible to
separate the platinum from the alloy. The criminal group was organized by
Warrant Officer Barkulayev and included Petty Officer Soskin, Lieutenant
Captain Melenov, several sailors, and one civilian. The criminals began operations on 8 September 1999,
when Soskin stole platinum catalysts worth 69,883 rubles (about $2,700 as of 8 September 1999). Initially Soskin kept the catalysts in a safe
aboard his submarine. Burkulayev arranged to sell 200kg of catalysts for a
price of $3.50/kg. His accomplices received different sums of money ranging
from 800 rubles (about $30 as of 8 September 1999) to $160. During the investigation, inventory checks found that platinum
catalysts had been stolen from most Rybachiy submarines.
11/28/2000: KLEBANOV
VISITS PRIMORYE, CONSULTS ON DEFENSE MINISTRY DEBTS
In the end of October 2000, Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov
met with the Pacific Fleet high command during a trip to the Russian Far East. He addressed
fleet financing issues, fuel shortages, and electricity debts.[1,2] Klebanov also
consulted with local authorities about Ministry of Defense debts to regional suppliers
of electricity, heat, and other services. For
electricity alone, the ministry owes 284 million rubles (about $10 million as of
28 November 2000).[2]
11/27/2000: RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT ADDRESSES PACIFIC FLEET ENERGY
PROBLEMS
On 27 November 2000, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov signed
Directive No. 1663-r, which established a working commission on the
provision of electricity to strategic Pacific
Fleet facilities. The commission is to examine the state of energy
supply in the Pacific Fleet and make decisions and recommendations regarding the issue.
The commission is to inform the government about its findings and measures
taken within one month. The Ministry of Defense is to provide all information and
materials requested by the commission. Deputy
Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov will chair the commission.
11/27/2000: COUNTERTERRORISM MEASURES IN PRIMORSKIY
KRAY INCLUDE NUCLEAR SITES
On 27 November 2000, Primorskiy Kray Governor Yevgeniy
Nazdratenko established an
interdepartmental
commission to examine regional facilities, including the Zvezda Shipyard, that deal with "nuclear
materials, pathogenic microorganisms, and radioactive, explosive, potent and
poisonous materials."[1,2] The commission, to be chaired by Dmitriy
Gichev, chief expert
of the kray administration's Natural Resources Committee, is
part of an effort to fight
crime and prevent terrorist acts in Primorskiy Kray.[1]
10/18/2000 REGIONAL SPONSORSHIP OF SUBS TO CONTINUE FOR 55
YEARS
For more information on Pacific Fleet nuclear
submarine sponsorship, see the 10/18/2000
entry in the General Naval Developments section.
9/1/2000: SECURITY UPGRADES AT TWO NUCLEAR FUEL STORAGE FACILITIES
IN PRIMORYE COMPLETE
For more information, see the 9/1/2000
entry in the Naval
Foreign Assistance Developments file.
7/2000: THEFT EPIDEMIC SPREADS IN PACIFIC
FLEET
The Pacific Fleet suffers from frequent thefts of
various kinds of equipment from its ships. In January 2000 several
sailors in
Kamchatka were arrested for stealing parts of radioactive control devices from
a decommissioned nuclear submarine. An investigation
revealed that
this group had also stolen other equipment containing such precious metals as
gold, silver, and platinum. In March 2000, five servicemen in Primorye
died from suffocation in a decommissioned submarine while searching for
nonferrous metals.[1] In late April 2000, Pacific Fleet Radio Technical
Department Commander Rear Admiral Vladimir Morev and two other senior
officers were tried by the Pacific Fleet military court for the theft and
resale of a radiolocation device that was part of an MR-123 anti-aircraft
artillery fire control system. In July 1999, a first sergeant and
another serviceman stole an Igla mobile anti-aircraft missile complex from a
ship in Vladivostok. In Khabarovsk Kray, a captain and a
warrant officer were found guilty by the Sovetskaya Gavan garrison military court
of stealing over 30,000 rounds of 7.62 caliber ammunition between May 1996 and
1998.[2] In July 2000, military lawyers said that even though the court has
handed down several harsh sentences, the number of thefts is not going
down.[1]
9/98: NORTHERN FLEET SUBMARINE TRANSFERS
TO PACIFIC FLEET
The multipurpose submarine Tomsk, an Oscar
II-class SSGN, has been transferred from the Northern Fleet to the
Pacific Fleet, where it will join a group of ground, air, and sea forces
that are stationed on the Kamchatka peninsula.[1] During testing,
the Tomsk completed an Arctic tour that covered 3500 miles in ice-covered
waters. The Tomsk was transferred to strengthen the Pacific
Fleet; over the past eight years, approximately one third of the military
ships in the Pacific Fleet have fallen into disrepair.[2] The Tomsk
has the capability of monitoring the entire eastern coastline of Russia.[2]
5/27/98: SUBMARINES WILL REMAIN IN KAMCHATKA
According to Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Vladimir
Kuroyedov, neither the navy headquarters nor the supreme commander-in-chief
plan plan to redeploy the Pacific Fleet's strategic submarines from Kamchatka
to the Northern Fleet. He refuted reports suggesting this possibility
and confirmed that the Kamchatka Flotilla will be a major part of a new
force that will also include units of the 25th Corps and the Air Force.
4/3/98: RUSSIAN ARMY AND NAVY TO "JOIN" ON KAMCHATKA
For the first time in Russia's military history, the Army and Navy will
create a joint force that will operate on the Kamchatka Peninsula.
This joint force is scheduled to be put together by 1 July 1998.
The force will include submarines, surface ships, anti-aircraft defenses,
and army units from the Far East. The Pacific Fleet will have command
of the joint force. The money saved by using the joint force will
be used for maintenance of Pacific Fleet submarines and surface ships.
2/9/98: WORKERS STRIKE AT POWER PLANT SUPPLYING PACIFIC FLEET
Workers at a power plant in Fokino went on strike on Monday, 9 February
1998.[1] The employees took action because they had not been paid
for almost a year. The power station provides electricity to strategic
sites of the Pacific Fleet, including nuclear waste dumps and submarine
reactors. Although the workers are prevented by law from interrupting
the supply of power to strategic installations, they halted almost all
other activities, including repair and maintenance.[2] Minister of
Atomic Energy Viktor Mikhailov stated that all nuclear sites have emergency
systems to guarantee safe deactivation in the event of a heat or power
outage.[1]
1/13/98: PACIFIC FLEET INTRODUCES "SAFETY FIRST MONTH"
The goals of "Safety First Month" (January 1998) were twofold: to prevent
injuries and fatal accidents and to increase each commander's awareness
of his personal responsibility to his crew's wellbeing. During safety
first month, four groups of high-ranking officers carefully monitored the
way that duties are performed and how weapons and combat equipment are
used.
12/2/97: NAVAL OFFICER CHARGED WITH TREASON
Russian authorities are dealing harshly with naval officers who publicize
the details of environmental problems emanating from the aging fleet of
nuclear submarines. Charges have been made against Captain 2nd Rank
Grigory Pasko, who is a military journalist in the Pacific Fleet.
Pasko left Vladivostok for Japan on 20 November 1997. During customs
his briefcase was inspected and several documents taken. Nevertheless,
he was allowed to leave for Tokyo. Upon Pasko's return on 23 November
1997, he was arrested on suspicion of having spied for Japan. On
28 November 1997, it was reported that Pasko had been charged with high
treason. Pasko was already unpopular as he had written numerous articles
about the poor methods of waste disposal. Some believe that it was
Pasko's interest in the problem of the fleet's nuclear waste that ultimately
led to his arrest.
11/22/97: MIKHAYLOV DISCUSSES
FATE OF PACIFIC FLEET ENTERPRISES
As head of the Ministry of Defense special commission
examining the state of Far Eastern defense enterprises and helping them
to weather the economic crisis, First Deputy Defense Minister Nikolay Mikhaylov
stated that the commission can make "no promises." Mikhaylov noted
that the directors of the defense enterprises and regional leadership,
as opposed to the federal government, are responsible for the well-being
of their workers and the population. He also indicated that social
tension at defense enterprises reflects poorly on an enterprise and implied
that it may lead to lost orders. The ministry supports the enterprises'
efforts to integrate the various production facilities, yet cautions against
creating monopolies, as competetiveness between enterprises helps the Defense
Ministry reduce its expenditures effectively. Mikhaylov urged all
defense enterprises to inventory all incomplete projects and recycle those
that are unrealizable. The Ministry anticipates that the Zvezda
Shipyard will continue to operate at 30 percent capacity and calls
for changing the shipyard's output. Mikhaylov stated that there is
a good balance between defense and conversion technologies at
Amurskiy
Zavod and indicated that future submarine and passenger ship construction
there is likely.
8/13/97: SERGEYEV STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF PACIFIC
FLEET IN RUSSIA'S NUCLEAR DETERRENCE STRATEGY
During a trip to the Pacific Fleet, Minister of Defense
Igor Sergeyev met with Pacific Fleet Commander-in-Chief Mikhail Zakharenko, visited
two SSBNs, and met with officers at the Rybachiy
Nuclear Submarine Base in Kamchatka. Sergeyev stated that the Russian
military leadership has developed a new military doctrine that relies foremost
on nuclear deterrence. He added that nuclear submarines are one of the most
important components of the new doctrine, even though the Pacific Fleet faces
tremendous obstacles. He promised that the most talented and young officers
will not be affected by further staff reductions and emphasized that "there is
a Pacific Fleet."
8/11/97: RADIOACTIVE CARGO LOST
On 11 August 1997, a 2t container with
radioactive power sources was lost in the sea off Sakhalin Island during transportation by a
MI-8 helicopter from
Nikolayevsk-na-Amure. The container was destined for one of the Pacific Fleet's automatic lighthouses.
Three Pacific Fleet vessels conducted a search
operation but were unable to find the container.
7/27/97: NO PLANS TO DISSOLVE PACIFIC FLEET
According to the commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, there are no current
plans to dissolve the Pacific Fleet. Admirial Gromov said that although
severe reductions are planned for the Russian Navy, the Pacific Fleet will
not be dissolved, but will be based in two locations, Kamchatka and the
Primorskiy Kray. Gromov stated that there are currently 26 operable nuclear
submarines in the Russian Navy, made up of Delta III, Delta IV, and Typhoon
classes.
7/24/97: PACIFIC FLEET MAY BE CUT
According to the Vladivostok daily, the Pacific Fleet may be dissolved
in accordance with new Russian military plans. The plans for reduction
include the entire Russian Navy and will eventually reduce the size of
the Navy by half. In place of today's Pacific Fleet, plans call for
two naval units in Kamchatka Oblast and Primorskiy Kray, the first directly
subject to Moscow and the second subject to the Far East Military District.
The naval base in the Primorskiy Kray will maintain all of the suface vessels
and submarines that are currently operable. The vessels that currently
require repair will be scheduled for decommissioning. There are reportedly
approximately 40 operative nuclear submarines currently in the Pacific
Fleet.
6/10/97: DECOMMISSIONED SUBMARINES PRESENT THREAT
No fewer than 48 aging decommissioned nuclear submarines belong to the
Pacific Fleet. A Pacific Fleet representative told the Japanese information
agency Kyodo that these aging submarines are located at five bases ranging
from the Kamchatka Peninsula to Primorskiy Kray. There is a possibility
that any one of these submarines will sink, as happened in May 1997, near
the shore of Avachinskoy Bay in Kamchatka. At three of these bases,
there is no nuclear fuel or other nuclear material. However, the
reactors on the submarines have not yet been dismantled, and some of the
submarines still contain liquid radioactive waste. According to sources,
a facility in Bolshoy Kamen scraps nuclear
submarines using US technology. Due to financial difficulties, however,
the facility is only able to dismantle one to two submarines per year.
5/30/97: NUCLEAR SAFETY LAWS VIOLATED
Of the 167 companies in Primorskiy Kray that store,
transport, or use equipment containing nuclear materials, only 46 have
obtained the permission to do so from Gosatomnadzor (GAN). GAN permission
is required to ensure that companies are properly following safety regulations.
The most frequent violation of nuclear safety laws involves the storage
of nuclear waste. In addition, some companies allow untrained employees
to work with nuclear material. Despite the high number of violations,
GAN has only issued 18 warnings.
10/18/96: ACCIDENT ON RUSSIAN SSN OF THE PACIFIC FLEET
An SSN of the Pacific Fleet suffered damage to its propeller while on patrol
outside Russian territorial waters. According to a report in Komsomolskaya
pravda, the seal on the propeller shaft ruptured, flooding one compartment
of the boat. The SSN returned to dock approximately 10 days after the accident.
Page last updated 4 August 2003
Comments or questions? Contact Cristina Chuen at MIIS
CNS: Cristina.Chuen@miis.edu
This material is produced independently for NTI
by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the
Monterey Institute of International Studies and
does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has
not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers,
employees, agents. Copyright © 2002 by MIIS.
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