A retired Russian admiral has alleged that the 2000 Kursk submarine disaster was caused by a collision with a NATO sub, an unproven claim that defies the official conclusion that the country's worst post-Soviet naval catastrophe was triggered by a faulty torpedo.
Retired Adm. Vyacheslav Popov, who was the commander of Russia's Northern Fleet when the Kursk exploded and sank during naval maneuvers in the Barents Sea, charged in an interview released Monday that the NATO submarine inadvertently bumped into the Kursk while shadowing it at close distance.
Popov told the state RIA Novosti news agency that the Western submarine was also damaged in the powerful explosion and
sent a distress signal from the area.
He didn't identify the submarine and acknowledged that he lacks proof to back up his claim.