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Russian ocean survey ship back in missing Argentine submarine search area

On November 30, the Argentine Navy declared it had curtailed the rescue operation as there was no hope of finding the crew alive, and focused on efforts to locate the submarine
The Russian ocean survey vessel Yantar EPA-EFE/DAVID FERNANDEZ
The Russian ocean survey vessel Yantar
© EPA-EFE/DAVID FERNANDEZ

BUENOS AIRES, December 26. /TASS/. The Russian ocean survey vessel Yantar has returned to the area where search for Argentina’s missing San Juan submarine continues after replenishing its stocks, the press service of the Argentine Navy said on Tuesday.

"Currently, five ships are staying in the search area, they are the Argentine Sarandi destroyers, the Puerto Argentino, the Islas Malvinas with the Russian Pantera Plus remotely-controlled submersible onboard, and US and Russian ocean survey ships, the Atlantis and Yantar," the press service said.

According to the press service, an operation to survey three objects lying at depth of 500, 700 and 814 meters with the use of the Pantera Plus submersible has been postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions. The objects were detected earlier by the Sarandi destroyers.

The Yantar reached the search area on December 5 and had to call at the port of the Argentine capital city to replenish its reserves on December 14. According to the Russian defense ministry, the ship has surveyed a number of seabed irregularities since it joined the search operation.

The diesel-electric submarine The San Juan, which left Ushuaia with 44 crew on board, went missing on November 15. The search for the submarine began on November 16. On November 30, the Argentine Navy declared it had curtailed the rescue operation as there was no hope of finding the crew alive, and focused on efforts to locate the submarine.