The search for 17 Russian fishermen is underway

Russia’s Il-38 anti-submarine aircraft with underwater acoustic capabilities were deployed from the Northern Fleet for the search and rescue mission to recover the fishermen. Two of the 19 crew members were rescued by a nearby fishing vessel shortly after the accident.

“With regret and sadness, I learned of the tragedy in the Barents Sea, which claimed the lives of the crew,” Putin wrote to the governor of Murmansk, where the ship was registered. “Please convey my deepest condolences to the victims’ families.”

The search for fishermen continued on Monday, although the Emergency Ministry said rescuers were battling 4-meter waves and minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit air temperatures.

The country has greatly improved its safety record of seaworthy vessels in recent years, although accidents still regularly occur in the icy waters around Russia, most recently in 2018, when a fishing boat sank in the Sea of ​​Japan, killing all 20 crew members

The icy waters of Russia’s northern coast are difficult to navigate for many ships due to the ice and constant strong winds. Monuments to sailors and fishermen lost at sea dot the country’s north coast.

Write to Thomas Grove at [email protected]

Corrections and amplifications
The Northern Russian Fleet sent an Il-38 anti-submarine plane to search for the missing fishermen. An earlier version of this article incorrectly referred to Il-38s as ships. (Corrected on December 28)