The West demands Moscow's cooperation in the matter of handling nuclear wastes in north-west Russia in return for financial assistance in the Kursk operation. Moscow cannot afford such guarantees to the West. Neither is it eager to finance the operation in the Barents Sea entirely on its own.

Specialists know that all of that are excuses. Upper echelons of the military and political power do not want the Kursk lifted from the seabed because they will have to answer some unpleasant questions as soon as the submarine is brought to the surface. State officials do not care that President Putin gave a solemn promise to have the Kursk lifted. They invent excuses to leave the submarine where it is.