Model of the Kursk nuclear submarine at the Lennusadam Maritime Museum in Tallinn, Estonia. Pjotr Mahhonin/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

During his first term, Vladimir Putin had to confront a raft of political and economic challenges, including the Chechen wars, conflict in Iraq, and the unchecked power of Russia’s oligarchs. He also faced a major tragedy that he handled disastrously, and which undermined his image as a strong and competent leader: the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine.

On August 12 2000, the Kursk sank during exercises in the Barents Sea. The 118 sailors on board sent signals to the command centre, but received no response. They remained in complete darkness, with only enough oxygen to last a few hours. The United Kingdom and Norway offered help on the same day, but Russia did not respond. Rescue efforts did not begin until eight days later, when all of the crew were long dead.

When the submarine was finally recovered, a chilling letter was found from one of the officers:

“It’s too dark to write, but I’ll try by touch. It seems we have no chance of survival. Only a 10–20% chance. Let’s hope that at least someone will read this… Hello to all, don’t despair. – Kolesnikov”

While the submariners on board the Kursk hung on knowing they had only minimal chances of survival, the newly inaugurated president was on holiday in the city of Sochi. He did not return until August 17, when the sailors’ families were waiting for him in the town of Vidyayevo, outraged and ready to demand accountability.

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A poorly managed disaster

The tragedy was widely covered by national television station ORT, owned by Boris Berezovsky, one of the most powerful oligarchs of the time. ORT journalist Sergei Dorenko harshly criticised the military and government’s negligence, including its poor maintenance of submarines, as well as sailors’ appalling living conditions, abusive working hours and miserable wages.

He also refuted Putin’s story, who claimed that the rescue was impossible due to storms. “I am very sorry to have to contradict the president… but on Wednesday, 17 August, there was no longer a storm. Furthermore, at a depth of 100 metres, where the submarine was, the storm cannot be felt,” he said.

Over time, it was proven that the Kursk had not been attacked by an American missile, as suggested by the Kremlin, but had sunk due to the explosion of an internal torpedo, which caused a fire and the subsequent detonation of other torpedoes. The explosions were so powerful that they were detected by several ships in the area.

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The “firehose of falsehood”

When meeting with the families, Putin appeared cold and lacking in empathy. In response to criticism in the media, he insisted that these were television “manoeuvres” to discredit the government and damage Russia’s military.

This pattern of behaviour – concealing the truth and blaming external enemies – has recurred throughout his career.

During the 2014 annexation of Crimea he blamed “Nazis” and the United States for provoking the revolution in Ukraine, concealing the fact that Russian forces were already occupying administrative buildings on the peninsula. During the 2022 invasion of Ukraine he insisted again on the presence of “Nazis” in the country – and on the alleged threat from NATO – to legitimise the “special military operation”.

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Many of these claims lack internal logic and are based more on assumptions than facts. However, a large part of the Russian population has believed them, just as they believed Putin’s claim that the Kursk was attacked by American missiles. This phenomenon was described by Christopher Paul and Miriam Matthews as the “firehose of falsehood”: a propaganda strategy based on producing an avalanche of baseless lies that, if repeated often enough, end up seeming true.

The truth, in our times, usually belongs to those who hold power. ORT, along with Berezovsky himself, ended up under state control. The oligarch was persecuted and, in 2013, was found dead in strange circumstances. The full truth about the Kursk was not revealed until much later.

It is therefore is the duty of every citizen to question official accounts, critically examine the narratives of leaders, and not be swayed by the “firehose” of falsehoods, no matter how apparently logical or appealing they may first seem.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Adeliya Bissenbayeva, Universidad de Navarra and Anna K. Dulska, Universidad de Navarra

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