Barents Sea, Russia
Russia’s defense minister blamed the sinking of a nuclear submarine this week on the “Russian national trait of carelessness.” The submarine sank in a storm in the Barents Sea as it was being towed to an Arctic scrap yard for removal of its decommissioned nuclear reactors. Nine of the 10 sailors on board drowned. Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said the disaster was a result of the navy’s “frivolous, Russian reliance on chance,” and he ordered a temporary halt to the transfer of decommissioned subs while procedures were reviewed. Russia has more than 100 derelict submarines that are waiting to be scuttled, many of them rusting away and leaking radiation.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Paul Thomas Anderson film to watch nextThe Week Recommends Best movies from the director of One Battle After Another
-
Who are the new-wave hackers bringing the world to a halt?The Explainer ‘Groups’ and ‘states’ are beginning to form concerning partnerships with new ways to commit cybercrime
-
Is The Inbetweeners reboot a good idea?Talking Point The cult classic sitcom is set to return over a decade after its final episode – but not everyone is happy
