Russian defence minister says some crew members survived submersible fire

Russia's defence minister on Wednesday said some crew members survived a fire that killed 14 sailors on one of the Russian navy's deep-sea research submersibles.

Sergei Shoigu didn't say how many crew members were rescued fromMonday's fire. Speaking Wednesday at the navy's Arctic base of Severomorsk, he praised the vessel's crew for "heroic" action, saying they sacrificed their lives to rescue a civilian expert and save the ship after the fire erupted.

Details were scarce about the incident, which was on a mission to measure sea depths in Russia's territorial waters in the Barents Sea.The Defence Ministry said the seamen were killed by toxic fumes from the blaze, but did not specify how many crewmembers were aboard the vessel at the time.

The ministry didn't name the vessel, but Russian media reported it was the country's most secret submersible, a nuclear-powered research submarine called the Losharik intended for sensitive missions at great depths.

Few images and details have emerged about the vessel. In 2012, the Losharik was involved in research intended to prove Russia's claim on the vast Arctic seabed. It collected samples from a depth of 2,500 metres, according to official statements at the time. Regular submarines can typically dive only to depths of up to 600 metres.

Norwegian authorities said on Tuesday they had not detected abnormally high levels of radiation after theBarents Sea incident.

"We have made checks and we are not monitoring too high radiation levels in the area," Per Strand, a director at the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, told Reuters.

'It isn't a regular vessel,' Putin says

Russian President Vladimir Putin, who came under criticism for his handling of the Kursk nuclear submarine disaster in 2000 that killed 118 sailors, cancelled a scheduled appearance Tuesday and immediately summonedShoigu for a briefing on the blaze.

"It's a huge loss for the navy," Putin told Shoigu on Tuesday during a televised meeting. "I offer my sincere condolences to the families of the victims."

He added that the vessel had a special mission and an elite crew.

"Itisn't a regular vessel. It's a research vessel with a highly professional crew," Putin said, adding that seven of the dead had the rank of captain and two were awarded the nation's highest medal, the Hero of Russia.

Russian media on Wednesday identified some of the victims, including the ship's captain, Denis Dolonskiy, who was awarded the Hero of Russia medal for the 2012 Arctic seabed research mission.

Putin's spokesperson,Dmitry Peskov, refused to answer questions about the vessel's name, design and mission, saying that information is confidential.

A Vatican spokespersonsaid Pope Francis has been informed of the fire and "expresses his condolences and closeness to the families and the victims affected by the disaster." Putin is set to visit the Vatican Thursday for a meeting with the Pope.

The Losharik is named after a Soviet-era animated cartoon horse made up of small spheres a reference to the unique design of its interior hull, reportedly made of a chain of titanium spheres capable of withstanding colossal pressure at great depths.

Media reports speculated it likely has features similar to the U.S. deep submergence vessel, the NR-1, which was mothballed in 2008 after nearly 40 years of service.

But unlike the NR-1 that was designed to dive to 910 metres, the Losharik was built to go far deeper.

The blaze marks the most serious Russian naval accident since 2008, when 20 crew members died aboard the nuclear-powered Nerpa submarine in the Pacific Fleet when a firefighting system was accidentally initiated.