Faulty torpedo blamed for Kursk sinking

The Russian government says the cause of the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine was a flawed torpedo.

There has been speculation since the incident the accident may have been caused by a collision with another ship or a Second World War mine.

Russian Minister Ilya Klebanov says officials believe the explosion of a practice torpedo is the only probable cause for the disaster.

The Kursk, one of Russia's largest and most advanced submarines, exploded and sank during naval maneuvers in August 2000, killing all 118 crew members on board.

The bulk of the wreckage was lifted in an operation last October, allowing investigators to retrieve the remains of 115 of the crewmen and search the wreckage for clues to the disaster's cause.

Officials initially claimed the Kursk's sinking might have been caused by a collision with a Western submarine or a World War II mine, but have since pointed to a flawed practice torpedo as the most likely cause.

The government commission will announce the final verdict on the cause on June 29.

The Russian Naval chief, Adm Vladimir Kuroyedov, said the navy had "placed unfounded trust" in the torpedo, which is propelled by highly volatile hydrogen peroxide.

A leak of hydrogen peroxide caused the 1955 sinking of the British submarine HMS Sidon, in which 13 men died, prompting Britain and other nations to stop using the chemical, but the Soviet and later Russian navies have used such torpedoes since 1957.