On August 10, 2000, the newest nuclear submarine K-141 Kursk set sail for its last exercises: "The defeat of an enemy carrier-based multi-purpose group by fleet strike forces." In carrying out this task, 118 submariners, her entire crew, joined the mournful list of victims of accidents and catastrophes of the Russian Navy. The death of the Kursk is still shrouded in mystery in the mass consciousness.
For the first time, Vice Admiral Valery Ryazantsev's book recreates the real picture of the tragedy that occurred in the Barents Sea based on facts, rather than idle speculation and "sensations" inflated by journalists. This picture is radically different from popular and firmly rooted myths. His extensive experience in the submarine fleet, his work as an expert in the investigation of the Kursk submarine disaster, as well as conversations with rescue workers allowed the author to establish the true cause of the submarine's death, putting an end to fierce disputes about one of the landmark events in the history of modern Russia.