Damaged Russian nuclear sub to take an year for repair

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Repairs of the Yekaterinburg nuclear submerine, damaged by fire while in dry dock near Murmansk city, will take at least an year, said a spokesman for the Zvezdochka shipyard.

The outer hull of the Yekaterinburg, a Delta-class nuclear submarine, caught fire on thursday during repairs when fuel and lubricants were set ablaze by welding in the system's nose section.

Fire safety violations during routine maintenance works are cited as the most likely cause.

The submarine's hydro acoustic system , defined as active sound in water (sonar) that is used to study fish, was disabled by the fire and possibly will have to be replaced before it is brought back into service.

"According to our specialists, the repair terms will be known as soon as the damage is assessed and when it becomes clear whether a new hydro acoustic complex is needed for the sub," Zvezdochka spokesman Yevgeny Gladyshev said. According to the first assessments, repairs may take as long as one year.

It is yet unclear at what facility the submerine will be repaired.