MURMANSK. Oct 11 (Interfax-Northwest) - The Giant 4 barge and the Kursk submarine will be placed in a dock next week at the request of the Dutch-based Mammoet Company, head of the Northern Fleet's press service Vladimir Navrotsky said at a press conference in Murmansk on Thursday.
He said the decision was taken on Wednesday at a technical conference, which was attended by head of the Rubin Central Design Bureau Igor Spassky, Navy Deputy Commander-in-Chief Mikhail Barskov and leading Mammoet experts.
"Mammoet representatives insisted on the delay proceeding from their estimations and the need to check out the Kursk's joints and mechanisms," Navrotsky said.
"The specialists give priority to the security, complexity and uniqueness of the future operation," he noted.
Partakers in the conference agreed with the conclusions of the Dutch company and informed Navy Commander-in-Chief Vladimir Kuroyedov about the conference results. Kuroyedov is staying on board the Admiral Chabanenko large anti-sub ship.
Russian experts in radiation monitoring examined the submarine's hull on Thursday morning. The examination was done by representatives of the search-and-rescue department and the radio-chemical and biological protection department of the Northern Fleet. They said that the radiation is within normal levels.
Divers based on the Mayo vessel are collecting submarine fragments and cleaning the Kursk's first compartment in the submarine wreck zone.