KRASNOYARSK. Aug 23 (Interfax-AVN) - Colleagues of scientist Sergei Bakhvalov have denied a link between his work in recycling chemical substances from the nuclear submarine Kursk and his disappearance in Krasnoyarsk.
Bakhvalov heads the Kristall Research Center, which won the contract for recycling materials retrieved from the Kursk. Bakhvalov's co-workers did not disclose which substances would be involved or how they would be recycled.
The Krasnoyarsk interior department told Interfax that a criminal case was launched to investigate the disappearance. They have no grounds to link it to the Kursk tender.
Bakhvalov has not been seen or heard from since he left home on Sunday evening.
Bakhvalov also heads the Physics and Chemistry Department of Krasnoyarsk University. His studies focused on semiconductor materials.