Survey Confirms Radiation Leaks from Sunken Komsomolets

More than three decades after a catastrophic fire sank the Soviet nuclear submarine K-278 Komsomolets in the Norwegian Sea, a recent scientific survey has confirmed that the vessel continues to release radioactive material intermittently from its corroding reactor, though the environmental impact remains limited due to rapid dilution in deep seawater.

The K-278, a titanium-hulled attack submarine designed for extreme depths, caught fire on April 7, 1989, while operating about 335 meters below the surface, roughly 180 kilometers southwest of Norway's Bear Island. The blaze, fueled by compressed air from a damaged ballast tank pipe, spread rapidly through the engineering compartment, forcing the crew to abandon ship. Of the 69 people aboard, only 27 survived, with many others succumbing to hypothermia in the frigid waters. The submarine surfaced briefly before sinking to a depth of 1,680 meters, where it now rests upright on the seabed, structurally intact but carrying a nuclear reactor and two nuclear-tipped torpedoes.

Norwegian researchers, led by marine radioecologist Justin Gwynn of the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, conducted a detailed expedition in July...