Russian nuke submarine funerals ‘to be held in secret’ amid cover-up fears and conspiracies comparing blast to Chernobyl

ALL those who died on board a Russian nuclear submarine devastated in an underwater blast are to be buried in secret funerals, it has been reported.

The shock news comes after Russia denied the nuclear power plant on board the “spy submersible” had been damaged in the horror blaze.

Fresh claims from a respected military analyst with Kremlin ties says the blaze spread “at hurricane speed” after an “explosion” when the AS 12 spy sub, nicknamed Losharik, was 920ft below sea level.

All 14 who perished in the inferno are now to be buried behind closed doors in St Petersburg, reported Fontanko news service.

“All of them will be buried in secret, at the request of their family members,” said the report. “Only close friends, family members and comrades will be at the funerals.”

The news will only fuel theories of a top level cover-up – with many comparing the tragedy to the shady way the Chernobyl disaster was handled.

Some Russian media have accused officials of starving the public of details and drew parallels with the dearth of official information during the meltdown of a Soviet nuclear reactor in 1986.

Conspiracy theorists also point to the fact that in all previous cases of major Russian national disasters funerals have often been held in public.

Earlier it had been reported this week’s victims  would be buried close to the dead from the stricken Kursk submarine which was lost in 2000.

Russia has made clear full details of the latest submarine losses will not be made public for national security reasons.

The high-ranking sailors battled for an hour and a half to bring it under control, according to Moscow military analyst Colonel Viktor Baranets.

The blaze was so hot that crew members “had no time to use special breathing devices”. he claims.

Despite this the “selfless, decisive actions of the crew saved the submarine and ensured it was tugged to Severomorsk military base”.

The nuclear power unit on board was not damaged by the inferno and no leakage occurred, it is reported.

Barenets, a retired officer who is a respected analyst, echoed reports today citing Vladimir Putin that the fire ignited  in the vessel’s battery compartment.

But citing his own sources he said it has been caused by a short circuit and involved an “explosion”.

MELTING MASKS

“According to preliminary information…the reason of the emergency was a short circuit in the power system that caused a fire in the room for accumulating batteries,” he wrote.

“When the concentration of hydrogen here is over three percent, an explosion followed by a fire occurs.

“This is what happened. The fire developed ‘at hurricane speed’. That is why some members of the crew had no time to use special breathing devices.

“The masks were simply melting. And even in these conditions, the badly burned submariners were rescuing each other.”

Meanwhile, an account has emerged of the crew of a fishing vessel seeing the stricken submarine – known as Posharik – surface after an emergency ascent on 1 July.

“We were moving towards Kildin in the evening, and here, around 9.30pm , a submarine pops up,” a fisherman said according to SeverPost.

“It came up completely. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. On the deck, people were running, scurrying around.”

Almost immediately a warship and two tugboats approached the boat.

The fishermen said that around 11pm the vessels was pulled away from the remote location by the tugs.

Barenets said that the members of the crew are expected to be honoured for their actions when the vessel was hit by fire. The dead will be honoured posthumously, he said.

“All the submariners, both perished and survivors, will be awarded with Order of Courage,” he wrote. One member of the crew will be recommended for the award of Hero of Russia.”

Two of those killed in the incident were already Heroes of Russia – the country’s highest award.