The vessel, which plunged to the bottom of the Barents Sea last year killing all 118 submariners on board, is scheduled to be lifted this summer, Reuters reported. Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed to recover the bodies of those who died from the Kursk, which was ripped apart by two unexplained explosions on August 18 last year. Moscow recovered the bodies of 12 victims last year and has vowed to lift the submarine to prevent possible damage to the environment.
Officials also hope to determine the cause of the disaster after raising the submarine.
Mammoet pledged to charge Russia a significantly lower amount than their rivals to lift the nuclear-powered submarine and said it would get the job done this year, Klebanov said. A consortium comprising Dutch firms Smit Internationale and Heerema and U.S. company Halliburton had offered to do the job in 2002, saying the group could not safely raise the Kursk this year. Klebanov said the decision to go with Mammoet was in no way linked to finances. He also said Mammoet had agreed not to announce the size of the contract or details of the technology divers would use. Klebanov dismissed warnings that autumn storms in the Barents Sea might derail the effort to raise the vessel.