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Repon on Missile Firing Accident in the White Sea 

 which occurred on 27 September 1991. B. LENSHTTS, 

 'Accident in the White Sea: A Hair Away from 

 Disaster." Pravda Severa (Severodvinsk), Wednesday. 2 

 October 1991. 



This information came suddenly and gave us a 

 start. Our city of 250.000 people once again became a 

 hostage. Something irreparable could have happened, 

 the only thing that saved us from the irreparable was 

 either chance or ... 



The voice that caUed the journalist center, that 

 in the evening last friday one of the northern fleet 

 submarines that was conducting regular operations an 

 accident took place. The crew was about to fire a 

 missile with a "blank" from an underwater position, but 

 they could not do it. During the surfacing a fire started 

 inside a missile tube, and a situation was created that 

 threatened both the crew and the nearby city with great 

 disaster. 



The boat was located in the White Sea near 

 Nenoksa. it carried missiles with nuclear warheads. The 

 submarines had to pour out to sea a large quantity of 

 missile fuel... 



All this was presented as a supposition. What 

 must a journalist do receiving such information? 

 Obviously he must check the truthfulness of the facts. 

 I called the staff of the White Sea naval base, and 

 knowing that the commander L M. Salnikov was on 

 vacation asked to meet his replacement, N. P. 

 Pakhomov. 



But the meeting did not take place. I must say 

 already then, when I spoke with the duty officer who 

 connected me with one of the staff officers, I realized 

 that no converMtion would happen. An annoyed voice 

 asked who was calling on what issue, and what exactly 

 was I interested in. 



Yes an accident took place, be said, a 

 competent commission is working on it, but how does it 

 concern you? I insisted on a meeting and was told to 

 come at 13.00 hours. At the agreed time I arrived at 

 the checkpoint, but was forced to wait a half an hour 

 until finally an officer calling himself V.V, Volnov 

 appeared. Having inquired of the sailor on duty where 

 the 'some sort of correspondent' is around here, he 

 lead me to understand that my further standing at the 

 checkpoint would be hopeless. 



Having worked in Severodvinsk for many 

 years. I have long lost any illusions I have had that 

 the Qeet commanders have any gentility. This time 

 as well they spoke of me at the doorstep, they didn't 

 ask me to come in, didn't listen me, they simply 

 poured out their annoyance, even though they 

 understood I was simply carrying out my work duty. 

 'Comrade Pakhomov is eating lunch at this 

 moment and cannot meet you...' 



"When can we meet then?" 

 *! don't know, call after dinner.' 

 I called after dinner. I was informed that V. 

 V. Volnov himself is in a meeting... 



Without denying the occupance in principle 

 the staff refused to provide any official information 

 for the newspaper. 



Why would they not want to meet with the 

 journalists, to jump ahead of the developments to 

 prevent the rumors and conjectures hat usually 

 grow around any sort of accident? When will our 

 military learn to work with the press in a civilized 

 fashion, displaying respect towards not only the law 

 of the press, but to the journalists and to themselves 

 (Le. the military). In the final analysis because of 

 their behavior the authority of the army and Qeet 

 suffer. 



However, the awl could not be concealed in 

 the naval bag. The municipal council of the city 

 soviet already knows about the accident They are 

 worried that yet again the waters of the White Sea 

 may become poisoned. There is a concern caused 

 by the past praaice of the military authority of not 

 informing the organs of the local authority about the 

 occurrences, and so feel itself unpunishable in the 

 process. 



So what did uke place aboard the boat? 

 And when will we know the truth? In the spring 

 when the shoreline will be covered by starfish? Or 

 when the storm waves throw out dead sea animals? 

 Apparently the previous accident which about so 

 much was written, did not teach us anything. 



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