The seaman were poisoned by fumes when the vessel caught fire while taking biometric measurements yesterday, the defence ministry said.

An investigation is underway into the incident on board the vessel, which was based out of the Northern Fleet main port of Severomorsk in Murmansk.

The deep-sea research vessel was carrying out a military survey in Russian territorial waters.

The ministry's statement said the submersible is intended for studying the seabed, but didn't give its name or type. Authorities haven't given a cause for the fire, saying that an official investigation has started.

The Russian navy uses Priz-class and Bester-class deep water vehicles, which have a hull built of titanium and are capable of operating at a depth of 3,281 feet.

They are transported to the area of operation by a carrier vessel and can operate autonomously for up to 120 hours.

The blaze marks the deadliest Russian naval incident since 2008, when 20 died when a firefighting system was accidentally initiated while the Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine of Russia's Pacific Fleet was undergoing trials.

In the deadliest naval incident in post-Soviet Russia, the Kursk nuclear submarine exploded and sank on Aug. 12, 2000, during naval maneuvers in the Barents Sea, killing all 118 crewmembers.

Russian Defense Ministry reported. "On July 1, a fire broke out in Russian territorial waters on a research deep-water apparatus designed to study the bottom space and the bottom of the World Ocean in the interests of the Russian Navy.

"During the biometric measurements, 14 submariners died as a result of burning with poisoned products"

"The causes of the incident are established. The investigation is conducted by the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy."

In August 2000, the Russian nuclear-powered submarine Kursk sank to the floor of Barents Sea after two explosions in its bow, killing all 118 men aboard. </s> The Russian military says that a fire on one of its deep-sea submersibles has killed 14 sailors.

In this video grab provided by the RU-RTR Russian television via APTN , Russia rescue personnel return from a dive in a mini submarine to the Kursk on the sea bed in the Barents Sea, Russia. The Russian military says that a fire on one of its deep-sea submersibles has killed 14 sailors. The Defense Ministry says that the blaze erupted Monday while the vessel was performing tests in Russia's territorial waters. (RU-RTR Russian Television via AP)

MOSCOW — The Russian military says that a fire on one of its deep-sea submersibles has killed 14 sailors.

The Defense Ministry says that the blaze erupted Monday while the vessel was performing tests in Russia’s territorial waters.

The ministry said in a statement Tuesday that the fire was extinguished thanks to the crew’s self-sacrifice.

It added that the submersible is now at the Arctic port of Severomorsk, the main base of Russia’s Northern Fleet. An official investigation has started. </s> Russia's Defense Ministry says a fire on one of its deep-sea research submersibles has killed 14 crew members.

The ministry said on July 2 that the tragedy took place the previous day as the vessel was carrying out a survey in Russian territorial waters.

 

 It said the 14 sailors died as a result of smoke inhalation.

The submersible is now at a Russian Navy base in the northwestern city of Severomorsk.

An investigation has been launched.

Based on reporting by RIA, Interfax, and TASS </s> Fourteen sailors have died after a fire broke out on one of Russia's deep-sea submersibles.

The defence ministry said the fire was extinguished due to the "self-sacrifice" of the crew, but did not give any cause of the blaze - or reveal if there were any survivors.

It said the incident happened while the unnamed vessel - intended for studying the seabed - was performing tests.

The underwater craft is now at the Arctic port of Severomorsk, the main base of Russia's Northern Fleet.

Submersibles are usually smaller than submarines - which unlike submersibles can operate over long distances, are autonomous and do not need surface support.

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President Vladimir Putin has ordered an inquiry into what happened after cancelling a scheduled event and summoning his defence minister to be briefed on the situation.

Image: Vladimir Putin has ordered an inquiry into what happened

Norwegian authorities said on Tuesday they have not detected abnormally high levels of radiation after the submersible caught fire in the area of the Barents Sea.

Per Strand, a director at the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, said Russian officials had told his agency that a gas explosion took place on board.

Russian reports have claimed that it was one of the country's most secret submarines - the nuclear-powered AS-12 Losharik, designed for sensitive missions at great ocean depths - but there was no official confirmation of the claims.

The Losharik, which entered service in 2010, is named after a Soviet-era cartoon character - a toy horse made of small spheres.

The name is said to be explained by the unique design of its internal hull, which is made of several titanium spheres capable of withstanding high pressure at great depths.

Analysts suggested one of its possible missions could be disrupting communication cables on the ocean bed.

The Russian navy also uses Priz-class and Bester-class deep water vehicles, which have a hull built of titanium and are capable of operating at a depth of 1,000m (3,281ft).

Tuesday's fire marks the deadliest Russian naval incident since 2008, when 20 died when a firefighting system was accidentally initiated while the Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine of Russia's Pacific Fleet was undergoing trials.

In the deadliest naval incident in post-Soviet Russia, the Kursk nuclear submarine exploded and sank on 12 August 2000 during naval manoeuvres in the Barents Sea, killing all 118 crew members. </s> • A Russian Navy research submarine caught fire at the naval base of Severomorsk on Monday, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported.
• Fourteen submariners died after being poisoned by burning materials, the agency said, citing Russia’s defense ministry.
• The cause of the fire is not clear.

A research submarine belonging to the Russian Navy caught fire and killed 14 sailors on board, Russia’s Interfax news agency reported, citing the country’s defense ministry.

The vessel had been studying the ocean floor at the naval base of Severomorsk when it caught fire on Monday, Interfax reported.

The submariners died after being poisoned by burning materials, the news agency said.

The submarine was “designed to study the bottom space and the bottom of the ocean in the interests of the Russian Navy,” Interfax quoted the defense ministry as saying.

The fire has since been put out, but the cause remains unclear. The commander-in-chief of the Russian navy has launched an investigation, Interfax said.

Nobody at the Russian defense ministry in Moscow was available for comment. Business Insider has contacted the Russian embassy in London for comment. </s> Fourteen crew on board a Russian defence ministry submersible have been killed after a fire broke out, the ministry was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.

The deep-sea research vessel was carrying out a military survey in Russian territorial waters, it said.

The incident took place on Monday and the fire has been extinguished. The submersible is now at the Russian northern fleet’s base in Severomorsk on the Barents Sea, and an investigation has been launched to establish the cause, Interfax, RIA and Tass quoted the ministry as saying.

In August 2000 the Russian nuclear-powered submarine Kursk sank to the floor of the Barents Sea after two explosions in its bow, killing all 118 men onboard. </s> Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the country's defense chief to travel to a northern naval base to conduct a probe after a fire on what the Kremlin described as a deep-sea "research submersible" killed 14 crew members.



Putin on July 2 called the incident a "great loss" and told Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to "personally receive reports," give tasks to investigators to "identify the causes behind this tragedy," and report back to him.



Putin's meeting with Shoigu came after the Defense Ministry said earlier in the day that 14 sailors were killed when a fire broke out on July 1 aboard a submersible that the ministry said was carrying out "research" work in Russian territorial waters.

It was one of the worst Russian naval disasters since 2000, when the Kursk nuclear-powered submarine sank following two explosions aboard the vessel, killing all 118 crew members aboard.

Russia's RBK news outlet quoted a military source as identifying the vessel in the latest incident as the Losharik AS-12 nuclear-powered submarine, although the Defense Ministry has not identified the type of vessel involved.



When the Losharik was launched in the early 2000s, details of the vessels were considered highly secret. One report said it was capable of diving 2,500 meters under the sea.



Russian media reported that the Losharik is carried under the hull of a mother submarine, the nuclear-powered Belgorod.

Russia in April launched the special-purpose Belgorod, which is believed capable of carrying nuclear-tipped underwater drones capable of threatening U.S. coastal cities.



The RBK report said the incident occurred in the evening hours of July 1.

Per Strand, a director at the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, told Reuters that his agency had not seen any raised levels of radiation in the area of the submarine accident. He said Norwegian authorities had been told by their Russian counterparts that a "gas explosion" had occurred on board the vessel.

The Russian Defense Ministry later denied making any comment about a "gas explosion." The discrepancy was not immediately explained.

A Russian Defense Ministry statement said that the sailors died as a result of inhaling combustible fumes aboard the research vessel, which was conducting measurements on the floor of the ocean.

The report did not say how many crew members were aboard. It said the fire was put out by other crew members.



The submersible is now at a navy base in the northwestern city of Severomorsk near Murmansk on the Barents Sea, officials said.



An investigation has been launched, the ministry said.



AFP quoted a military expert speaking on condition of anonymity as doubting that the vessel was on a scientific research mission.



"Usually it's a cover for different type of work conducted on the seabed," like laying cables, the expert said.

Russia has suffered several deadly submarine incidents over the past two decades, as well as a rash of fires during decommissioning at ports.

In the deadliest submarine incident since the Kursk, 20 Russian sailors and shipyard workers died aboard the submarine K-152 Nerpa when the fire-extinguishing system accidentally activated, causing suffocation. ​

With reporting by and Current Time, AP, AFP, Reuters. RIA Novosti, Interfax, and TASS </s> Russia’s Defense Ministry says a fire on one of its deep-sea research submersibles has killed 14 crew members, RFE/RL reports.

The ministry said on Tuesday, July 2 that the tragedy took place the previous day as the vessel was carrying out a survey in Russian territorial waters.

A Defense Ministry statement said that the sailors died as a result of inhaling combustible fumes aboard the research vessel, which was conducting biometric measurements on the floor of the ocean.

The submersible is now at a navy base in the northwestern city of Severomorsk near Murmansk on the Barents Sea, officials said.

An investigation has been launched.

In 2000, all 118 crew members aboard the Kursk, a Russian nuclear-powered submarine, were killed when the vessel sank to the floor of the Barents Sea following two explosions in a tragedy that gripped the nation at the time. </s> Russia's Defense Ministry said Tuesday that 14 submariners were poisoned by fumes and died after a fire broke out aboard a navy deep water research vessel. The fire began while the crew was surveying the seabed in Russian territorial waters on Monday.

NPR's Lucian Kim reports Russian President Vladimir Putin has dispatched the defense minister to lead the investigation of the accident.

Putin described the stricken vessel as "an unusual submarine" and said seven of those killed were high-ranking naval officers.

Some Russian media outlets, citing military sources, said it was a secret nuclear-powered submersible that can operate thousands of feet deeper than regular submarines.

NPR's Lucian Kim reports from Moscow that the craft has been recovered and is in Severomorsk, the main base for Russia's Northern Fleet on the Arctic Ocean.

"Accidents have plagued the Russian navy," Kim says. "The worst was in 2000, when the Kursk submarine sank, killing all 118 personnel aboard, and creating the first crisis for Russia's new president at the time, Vladimir Putin."

The Kursk submarine was also part of Russia's Northern Fleet.

Kim reports that Putin has canceled a previously scheduled appearance to meet with Russia's defense minister.

According to Sky News, "The Russian navy uses Priz-class and Bester-class deep water vehicles, which have a hull built of titanium and are capable of operating at a depth of 3,281ft (1,000 meters). The blaze marks the deadliest Russian naval incident since 2008, when 20 died when a firefighting system was accidentally initiated while the Nerpa nuclear-powered submarine of Russia's Pacific Fleet was undergoing trials."
A fire on the Russian Navy's Losharik submarine kills 14 crew members while the vessel conducts tests in Russian territorial waters.