To return to the main
Pacific Fleet entry, see the
Pacific Fleet file
Eastern shore of Strelok Bay, across
from Dunay (Shkotovo-22)
Ministry of Defense
Pavlovsk Bay is the home of the 26th nuclear
submarine division, a submarine unit that is part of the Pacific Fleet's
Primorskiy Kray Flotilla, also known as the Fourth Flotilla. The
division was formed 40 years ago, and became part of the flotilla in 1978. The
flotilla was reduced in size in the mid-90s; in May 2000, the Russian General
Staff directed the navy to disband
the 26th division (see 10/13/2000 entry below for details).[1]
Decommissioned submarines are kept in Pavlovsk
Bay as well,
including three Pacific Fleet submarines with damaged fuel (hull numbers
541, 175, and 610). Sealed
reactor compartments from defueled and partially dismantled nuclear submarines
are kept here as well, until Russia develops a plan for their long-term
storage.[2]
According to a 1995 Russian study, 19 nuclear submarines (all with functioning
reactors still on board) were docked at the facility awaiting defueling and
dismantlement.[3]
As of September 1997, this number had grown to 21 nuclear submarines with fuel
still aboard.[4] A December 2000 study
indicated that the number had dropped to 16, all with fuel aboard.[8] In July 1999, the Nuklid organization, which is subordinate
to Minatom, began to take over monitoring
of decommissioned submarines at Pavlovsk Bay.[5]
Pavlovsk Bay is the home port of several PM-124 class (PM-80, PM-125, PM-133)
service ships. These ships hold 1,680 spent
fuel assemblies, including 118 damaged fuel assemblies on the PM-80.
The PM-133, also known as TNT-16,
was contaminated during rescue efforts that followed the 10
August 1985 incident during which the reactor of K-314, an Echo
II (Project 675) SSN, caught fire and vented radiation in Chazhma Bay.[6,7,8]
Two technical
support ships also operate at the facility, the TNT-5 and TNT-27.[8,9,10]
Radiation levels in the bay are elevated in two
locations. The highest levels (over 0.6 mR/hour, with cesium levels
three to 12 times ambient levels and cobalt levels seven to 15 times above ambient levels)
are near a submarine that, in December 1985, suffered a serious accident in
the core, causing coolant from the first circuit to leak into the reactor
compartment, which resulted in releases of radiation into the environment for
two weeks. Levels are also elevated near two other submarines with damaged
reactors that are now also docked in Pavlovsk Bay: up to 1.4 mGy/hour
near K-314, the SSN that caught fire and vented radiation in Chazhma Bay on 10 August
1985, and up to .005 mGy/hour near the other vessel, which suffered an
accident in Pavlovsk Bay (date not reported). K-314 continues to be a
source of cobalt-60 contamination, while the other submarine is still emitting
cesium-137 and strontium-90.[8]
11/21/2002: NUCLEAR
SUBMARINE CATCHES FIRE
On 21 November 2002, a
decommissioned nuclear-powered submarine in Pavlovsk Bay caught fire. The
vessel, which was decommissioned five years ago, has yet to be defueled.
Electric heaters were being used to warm the air in the compartments to prevent
instruments from freezing; the fire
originated in the power cord to one of the heaters.[1] Subsequently, the
fourth and fifth compartments caught fire. A fire boat, tug boat, and two
water-tank trucks assisted in putting out the blaze.[2] According to the Pacific Fleet press service, there was no
release of radiation or danger to the reactor.[1]
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.
10/13/2000 PAVLOVSK BAY NUCLEAR SUBMARINE BASE TO
DISBAND
A source at the Pacific Fleet headquarters has
reportedly said that the Russian
Navy command has decided to disband the 26th nuclear submarine division
stationed in Pavlovsk Bay. As of October 2000, the unit had about two dozen nuclear
submarines listed as active. [According to CNS sources, only one, a Shchuka-class
(NATO name Victor-III) SSN was combat capable as of June 2000.]
The total value of
Pavlovsk installations is estimated at hundreds
of millions of dollars. However, the Defense Ministry lacks funding to maintain
either the submarines or the base itself. Only
a few SSNs will be transferred to a new location and the rest will be
dismantled.[1] [Note: the SSNs will probably be sent to Rybachiy
Nuclear Submarine Base.] Other sources indicate that
no final decision has yet been made on the fate of the Pavlovsk Bay base.
Coastal installations that include nuclear submarine shelters
constructed in local caves have reportedly been temporarily transferred from
the 26th submarine division to the Primorskiy
Kray Flotilla of Multipurpose Forces.[2]
7/2000: PROJECT TO ENCASE THREE DAMAGED SUBMARINES UNDER
CONSIDERATION
For more information, see the 7/2000 entry in the
Pacific Fleet Radioactive Waste Developments
section.
12/25/99: PROBLEMS PLAGUE PAVLOVSK BAY
SUBMARINE UNIT
The nuclear submarine unit stationed in Pavlovsk Bay has
not been receiving enough conscripts to man its submarine crews.
One nuclear submarine received only five conscripts instead of the
required 40. The unit also has problems organizing training at sea:
as of December 1999, submarines rarely put to sea.
11/4/95: WASTE TRANSFER NEARLY SINKS DECOMMISSIONED
TANKER
The emergency transfer of 800 cubic meters of liquid
radioactive waste from the TNT-5 Pacific Fleet tanker to tanker TNT-27
commenced at Pavlovsk Bay near Vladivostok. Decommissioned in 1992, TNT-5
had keeled over and was about to sink. According to Valeriy Danilyan, Head
of the Radioactive, Chemical, and Biological Safety Service for the Pacific
Fleet, radioactive waste is consequently being reprocessed at the Sharya reprocessing
assembly owned by the Fleet.
Danilyan also stated that the Sharya reprocessing
assembly can reprocess 800 cubic meters of waste in 10-15 days. During
the summer 1995, 3,000 cubic meters of liquid radioactive waste, or more
than half of the Pacific Fleet's waste, was reprocessed at Sharya. Danilyan
added that the "situation is under control" because all liquid radioactive
waste would be transferred from the TNT-5 next week and upon completion,
the tanker would either be recycled or sunk.[1, 2, 3]
Page last updated 10 December 2002
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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