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Nuclear reactor of burning submarine at Russian shipyard shut down before fire — source

According to the source, there's no ammunition on board

MOSCOW, Apeil 7. /TASS/. The nuclear reactor of the burning submarine Oryol at the Zvyozdochka shipyards in Severodvinsk (project 949A Antei) had been shut down long before the fire. There are no weapons on board, a source in the shipbuilding industry told TASS.

"The reactor’s core had been removed at the beginning of repairs several years ago. There are no weapons or flammable fuels or lubricants on board, either," the source added.

The source said the fire has been localized, with no open fire visible. "But there is heavy smoke at the seat of fire," the source said, adding that fire extinction operations had been going on for about two hours. The source said the fire had started from the noise and vibration insulation system between the outer and pressure hulls. According to the source, some crewmembers had been in the sub owned by the Russian Northern Fleet at the moment when the fire started.