PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, January 28 (AVN) -- Russian Navy Commander Vladimir Kuroyedov has levied execution against senior officers of the 16th operative squadron, a source in the Northeast troops and forces staff told the Military News Agency.
The punishment was due to the recent incident, which involved two of the squadron's sailors who stole radioactive units and rare-earth metals from a nuclear submarine on January 7, the source added. The chief officer of the ship and the squadron's radiation and chemical biological protection department head have been dismissed from service.
The ship and the squadron commanders have received severe reproofs.
The staff of the Northeast troops and forces understood the reaction of the Navy commander. According to the specialists, the mariners could have accidentally started the reactor and cause and explosion.
However the staff could not understand the repression against the radiation and chemical protection department head who was accused of leaving drop indicators at the ship. According to the rules, they have to stay at the ship until the reactor is unloaded.
The investigation found out the criminals have been assisted by the ship's watchman, who was hoping to earn on the sales of the stolen palladium accelerators. Having stolen a dozen of these accelerators (each of them costs about USD4,000), the mariners broke the safe and stole 12 drop indicators, which look a bit like golden plates.
The military prosecutor's office has initiated a criminal case.