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MARGARET WARNER: Today was a national day of mourning in Russia. Gaby
Rado of Independent Television News reports.
GABY RADO, ITN: Russians have been mourning the death of the 118 submariners,
men who many believe were betrayed by their own high command and political
leaders. This evening the nation heard the first words from President
Putin since the loss of the whole crew was confirmed.
PRESIDENT PUTIN: (Translated) In spite of the fact that I have sat
in the Kremlin office for just 100 days, I feel responsible and guilty
for this tragedy.
GABY RADO: The president, who has in fact been leader of Russia since
January, revealed he refused to accept the resignations of his defense
minister and two top admirals, saying he first wanted an investigation
carried out. Last night he had a six-hour- long meeting with the relatives
of the lost crew. Russian TV, given sole access, did not broadcast any
of the exchanges between the anguished families and their leader. But
in video obtained of a weekend meeting between relatives and the deputy
prime minister, proof of how the authorities dealt with one angry mother:
A woman official behind her is caught brandishing a syringe, which she
apparently applies through the woman's clothes. Today there was much
more anger.
WOMAN: (Translated) I believe that our authorities showed that they
consider ordinary people simply worthless. From now on, no mother will
allow her son to serve in the Russian armed forces. We don't bring up
our sons so they can be killed.
GABY RADO: Anastia Kubrikov on the left is one of several women mourning
their grandsons in the region of Kursk western Russia, after which the
submarine was named. 21-year-old Roman Kubrikov was the youngest crew
member to die on the submarine. His grandmother says she hasn't slept
since she heard of the accident. She still can't believe he won't be
coming back. All over Russia, flags have been lowered to half-mast.
The disaster isn't just seen as a tragedy for 118 families or a blow
for the navy, but a source of national shame. Even in places far from
the sea, such as Riazen, 100 miles south of Moscow, where they have
monuments to the navy's past achievements, people have paid tribute.
The world today had its first glimpse of the divers who did manage
to get into the "Kursk." The first down was in fact British,
not Norwegian, and the team will have to stay in a decompression chamber
for two more days. The relatives of the lost submariners will be further
dismayed when they hear the latest estimates of when they'll be able
to bury their sons and brothers and husbands. The Norwegian diving team,
which will be going down to the submarine "Kursk" within the
next ten days, say the actual raising of the vessel and retrieval of
the bodies cannot take place before next summer.
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