Big Ben clock tower at the Palace of Westminster in London. File photoLONDON, Jan 14, Zhanna Manukyan.The British Ministry of Defense does not have any written documents that Russia requested an inspection of nuclear submarines after the disaster of the Russian submarine «Kursk» in August 2000, in the area of u200bu200bwhich it was reported that a British submarine could be located, RIA Novosti was told in the secretariat of the command of the country's Navy .Earlier, Vyacheslav Popov, commander of the Northern Fleet at the time of the sinking of the Kursk in August 2000, said in an interview with RIA Novosti that the submarine sank as a result of a collision with a NATO submarine that came too close to it. According to reports in Russian and foreign media, in the area of the exercises of the Northern Fleet in August 2000, there were nuclear submarines Memphis and Toledo of the US Navy, as well as Splendid of the British Navy. The News24 portal reported that the Russian Ministry of Defense requested the Pentagon to inspect Memphis and Toledo, but the Russian military department was denied this and reported that «all submarines are in working order.» The same response followed from London, the portal reported.The Norwegian Ministry of Defense stated that the reasons for the sinking of the Kursk had long been established. RIA Novosti turned to the British Ministry of Defense with a request to confirm the information about the presence of a British submarine in the exercise area, and also that the Russian Defense Ministry had requested the British Ministry of Defense to inspect its submarines. The British Ministry of Defense told RIA Novosti that this information can only be disclosed upon special request in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. The corresponding request was sent to the secretariat of the Navy Command. «As for the part of the request asking to confirm that» the Russian Ministry of Defense has requested the British Ministry of Defense to inspect its nuclear submarines, «I can confirm that the Ministry of Defense has no record of what — or a request to the UK to inspect its nuclear submarines, ”says a written response sent to RIA Novosti by the secretariat of the British Navy Command. The Kursk submarine sank on August 12, 2000 in the Barents Sea, killing all 118 crew members. According to the official version, the tragedy occurred due to the explosion of a torpedo on board, followed by detonation of the ammunition. Kursk»
