Russia's Northern Fleet commander, Admiral Vyacheslav Popov, has confirmed that at the time of the incident with the Russian "Kursk" nuclear submarine, which sunk in the Barents Sea on August 12, a SOS signal coming from a foreign sub was registered in the same area of the sea.

        An underwater listening device of the hydro-acoustic system installed at the "Pyotr Veliky" cruiser registered a SOS signal transmitted by a mechanical source. A spectral analysis conducted later in a Northern Fleet laboratory showed that the signals had been sent by a foreign sub, which evidently was nearby at the time. "Kursk does not have such a device," Popov said.

        He also recalled a statement by Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov, who heads the government commission investigating the causes of the "Kursk" disaster, who said that "the commission has a large number of indirect signs" indicating that the Russian submarine sank as a result of collision.

        The admiral said also that, "considering the extent of the catastrophic destruction in the fore compartments, only lifting the vessel to the surface will allow to find the true causes of its wreck."

        He explained the need to lift the "Kursk" also by the fact that 11 such vessels exist in the Navy and "their crews should be absolutely sure that the government commission will find out what had caused the "Kursk" catastrophe." Preventive actions are to be taken at the other vessels of this project if necessary, Popov pointed out.

        Besides, he said the sunken nuclear sub should not be left lying at the bottom in an area of active fishing and at a crossroads of waterways.

        Assessing the results of the deep-sea diving operation conducted with the help of the Norwegian "Regalia" rig, Popov stressed the importance of the survey and filming of the "Kursk compartments, of its hull and the sea bottom around it, to specify the versions the disaster causes.

        "We have seen a lot of new things confirming one of the main versions," the Northern Fleet commander said.