Some details of the retrieval operation scheduled for the summer to raise the Russian submarine Kursk were disclosed today in Hague. The hull of the nuclear-powered sub will be cut in two. The submarine's nose section /about 20 meters long/ destroyed by the blast will initially rest on the sea-bed in the Barents sea. Then, it will be lifted without foreign specialists' assistance, this RIA Novosti correspondent reported. According to De Telegraaf /a Dutch newspaper/, the Russian side insists that the destroyed nose section of the Kursk sub be retrieved without the help of the foreign specialists.

        Deep-sea divers will attach 20 cables /23 centimeters in width each/ to the Kursk's second section to subsequently raise it to the surface with the help of a crane ship and fasten on pontoons.

        The biggest floating crane Tialf which belongs to the Dutch firm Heerema will perform this salvage operation. Smit Tak International will lease out the pontoon. The submerged submarine will be towed to the shore and placed in a dock in order to extricate the bodies of the crew.

        According to a representative of Smit Tak International, the cables will be secured to the submarine hull by means of metal hooks in contrast with usual practice of positioning the cables under the ship's hull. This is the only exception to the rule during salvage operations. Moreover, the cables will be much stronger than necessary.

        Experimental materials won't be applied during the raising of the submarine, the representative of Smit Tak International added.

        The Dutch companies, Smit Tak and Heerema, will disclose today in Brussels the plan of the submarine retrieval operation.