When you express your personal opinion in an online forum, you must be as courteous as if you were speaking with someone face-to-face. Insults and personal attacks will not be tolerated. To disagree with an opinion, an idea or an event is one thing, but to show disrespect for other people is quite another. Great minds don't always think alike - and that's precisely what makes online dialogue so interesting and valuable.

Netiquette is the set of rules of conduct governing how you should behave when communicating via the Internet. Before you post a message to a blog or forum, it's important to read and understand these rules. Otherwise, you may be banned from posting.

  1. RCInet.ca's online forums are not anonymous. Users must register, and give their full name and place of residence, which are displayed alongside each of their comments. RCInet.ca reserves the right not to publish comments if there is any doubt as to the identity of their author.
  2. Assuming the identity of another person with intent to mislead or cause harm is a serious infraction that may result in the offender being banned.
  3. RCInet.ca's online forums are open to everyone, without regard to age, ethnic origin, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
  4. Comments that are defamatory, hateful, racist, xenophobic, sexist, or that disparage an ethnic origin, religious affiliation or age group will not be published.
  5. In online speak, writing in ALL CAPS is considered yelling, and may be interpreted as aggressive behaviour, which is unpleasant for the people reading. Any message containing one or more words in all caps (except for initialisms and acronyms) will be rejected, as will any message containing one or more words in bold, italic or underlined characters.
  6. Use of vulgar, obscene or objectionable language is prohibited. Forums are public places and your comments could offend some users. People who use inappropriate language will be banned.
  7. Mutual respect is essential among users. Insulting, threatening or harassing another user is prohibited. You can express your disagreement with an idea without attacking anyone.
  8. Exchanging arguments and opposing views is a key component of healthy debate, but it should not turn into a dialogue or private discussion between two users who address each other without regard for the other participants. Messages of this type will not be posted.
  9. Radio Canada International publishes contents in seven languages. The language used in the forums has to be the same as the contents we publish. The usage of other languages, with the exception of some words, is forbidden.
  10. Messages that are off-topic will not be published.
  11. Making repetitive posts disrupts the flow of discussions and will not be tolerated.
  12. Adding images or any other type of file to comments is forbidden. Including hyperlinks to other websites is allowed, as long as they comply with netiquette. Radio Canada International is in no way responsible for the content of such sites, however.
  13. Copying and pasting text written by someone else, even if you credit the author, is unacceptable if that text makes up the majority of your comment.
  14. Posting any type of advertising or call to action, in any form, to Radio Canada International forums is prohibited.
  15. All comments and other types of content are moderated before publication. Radio Canada International reserves the right to refuse any comment for publication.
  16. Radio Canada International reserves the right to close a forum at any time, without notice.
  17. Radio Canada International reserves the right to amend this code of conduct (netiquette) at any time, without notice.
  18. By participating in its online forums, you allow Radio Canada International to publish your comments on the web for an indefinite time. This also implies that these messages will be indexed by Internet search engines.
  19. Radio Canada International has no obligation to remove your messages from the web if one day you request it. We invite you to carefully consider your comments and the consequences of their posting.
Home  Blog  Mia Bennett  
Mia Bennett

Disaster in Russian Arctic: Dock fire consumes nuclear submarine

Print Tuesday, 03 January 2012 17:02 Written by Mia Bennett



Mia Bennett
AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Images released by Russia Today shows fire crew trying to extinguish a fire on board the Russian nuclear submarine Yekaterinburg docked at the closed Roslyakovo military area of the port of Sveromorsk on December 29, 2011. AFP.
Images released by Russia Today shows fire crew trying to extinguish a fire on board the Russian nuclear submarine Yekaterinburg docked at the closed Roslyakovo military area of the port of Sveromorsk on December 29, 2011. AFP.
Just a couple of weeks ago, a Russian oil rig sank off the coast of Sakhalin Island, leaving at least 17 dead and 36 more missing. Only 14 people survived, and the search has been called off to ensure the safety of the rescuers in harsh conditions. Now, in the Arctic shipyard in the village of Roslyakovo, Murmansk in northwest Russia, the Yekaterinburg, a nuclear submarine,caught on fire last week while undergoing repairs. Welding that was occurring on the wooden scaffolds surrounding the vessel reportedly caused the fire. Eventually, the flames spread to the submarine.

Villages in Roslyakovo, rather than the Navy, noticed the fire and reported it to Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations. A video of the fire is available here, courtesy of RIA Novosti. 

 

Sumbarine submerged to control fire

Helicopters were on-site trying to put out the fire. Six hours later, the submarine was submerged to try to stop the blaze for good. Minister of Emergency Situations Sergey Shoygu said that the fire had been mostly contained at 1:40 am, but that firefighters were still combatting small pockets of flames.

Nineteen crew members have been injured so far, either from burns or smoke inhalation, though the Russian authorities claim that no one was hurt. They also will not disclose how many crew members were onboard the submarine at the time of the fire. They have claimed that neither nuclear weapons nor the nuclear reactor were on the ship, as the sixteen ballistic missiles, along with torpedo tubes, had been removed prior to repairs. If this is true, the fire should not be radioactive. Since the fire reportedly only broke out on the submarine's outer hull, there also should not be any major radiation risk, since the nuclear weapons and reactor would be farther inside. The Yekaterinburg normally carries R-29RMU Sineva intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin sent Acting Head of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov to Murmansk. Meanwhile, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation has launched an inquiry into the fire, entitled, "Damage to property due to negligence of the military."

Latest in Russian maritime disasters

It is hard to believe Russian authorities and federal investigations after the last few maritime disasters, notably the sinking of the nuclear submarine, the Kursk, in 2000. On top of that, and on top of the recent sinking of the Kolskaya oil rig, a Russian nuclear icebreaker, the Vaygach, caught on fire earlier in December, killing two. Again, there was reportedly no radiation released, since the fire occurred in the ship's living quarters, far from the reactor. Still, in order for foreign investors to feel secure about investing in Russia's maritime industries, whether they be icebreakers or offshore oil rigs, there needs to be more transparency. Russia also probably needs to enforce tighter regulations and upgrade its infrastructure. After all, you don't hear about similar disasters in countries like Norway or Canada nearly as often. This blog post from the Voice of America's Russia Watch on the sinking of the Kolskaya is highly informative and offers great insight into what happened, why, and the culture of negligence that persists in Russia from the top down.

News Links

"Massive fire engulfs Russian nuclear submarine at Arctic repair dock; possibly 19 injured, and links remain uncertain," Bellona

Foreign Policy Blogs logo.
Foreign Policy Blogs logo.