Putin sacks navy head after mini-sub drama

MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin sacked navy chief Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov with the military facing criticism over its handling of a mini-submarine accident last month.

The Kremlin said Putin had appointed Admiral Vladimir Masorin as the new navy head. Putin did not give a reason for Kuroyedov's dismissal.

Local media had speculated that Kuroyedov could be axed after seven Russian sailors were freed last month with British help after three days trapped in an AS-28 rescue mini-submarine 600 feet down in the Pacific with dwindling air supplies.

Some critics asked why the Russian navy did not have the rescue equipment to hand to match the navies of Nato countries.

Russian media said last month's events showed the navy had failed to learn lessons after the Kursk nuclear submarine disaster five years ago when the 118-man crew died when it sank in the Barents Sea after explosions on board.

Putin, who met both men at his country house outside Moscow, told Masorin -- previously chief of the main staff of the navy -- that he had a lot of work ahead to build on reforms already undertaken in the navy.

"You ... face difficult tasks," he said. "We would not be able to solve all these problems even with the state's economic potential growing if we do not strengthen discipline and order and solve tasks of social protection of seamen."

Putin praised Kuroyedov's efforts in helping with naval reform, but also noted the bad times during his time in office since 1997.

"Since that time, we have not simply restored a significant part of the navy but also created a realistic programme for its development," he said.

"At the same time, there were difficult events, tragedies. We all know about that. But I would like to underline once again that with all these problems, all these tragedies, the main thing is that the navy is undergoing a revival."

One admiral, Eduard Baltin, told Ekho Moskvy radio that Kuroyedov's dismissal may have been linked to ill health.

"Kuroyedov is very ill. He has been lying in hospital for two months, he had a complicated operation," Baltin told the radio station.

- REUTERS