Cutting off the first compartment of the Kursk began yesterday. Presentation of the international press-center took place in Murmansk.

Divers set up the cutting gear that will be used in the operation. Four trial cuttings were made. The gear worked perfectly. Two hours later and one meter into the light hull the saw was turned off and checked. It will take up to two days to cut off the first compartment of the submarine. Unless something unexpected happens, the compartment will be cut off by that evening. Unfortunately, the weather report for today was not particularly favorable.

Journalists were shown the press center in Murmansk yesterday. All of the equipment in it is working. The journalists were shown this in the course of the TV press conference of Vice Admiral Mikhail Motsak, the Northern Fleet Chief-of-Staff, who was on the nuclear-powered missile cruiser Pyotr Veliky. Motsak announced that 4,523 servicemen on 10 battleships of the Northern Fleet were involved in the operation. The Giant with the lifting equipment is sailing to Norway. Motsak is confident that the barge and the Kursk will be brought to Roslyakovo between September 25 and October 2.