Nor have Russian officials explained why neither Moscow nor the Western-funded Kursk Foundation has committed funds to the project yet. Western and Nordic nations and the Japanese government have offered to contribute half, setting up the Kursk Foundation to raise and oversee the funding. Russia hopes to get a loan from a Western bank for its share, but officials say they may have to raid the 2002 federal budget instead. Preliminary work on raising the Kursk was to have begun in February. Yet no contract has been signed between the Kursk Foundation and Rubin, the St. Petersburg-based submarine design bureau that is to run the salvage operation.
Time is critical.
Heavy seas and sharp storms hampered rescue efforts when the Kursk went down Aug. 12 during training exercises in the Barents Sea. Should the salvage teams have to wait until winter sets in, they could face the same obstacles. After Sept. 15, there could be real problems. Adding to the pressure, if a salvage operation has to wait until next year, raising the Kursk may be impossible. The deeper the submarine goes the tougher it becomes to extract, experts said.