Soviet submarine S-2 sunken in Jan 1940 during the Soviet-Finnish War will be declared a military memorial. Finnish party is ready to include wrecks of S-2 laying on the Baltic Sea’s bottom in Finland’s territorial waters into official list of Soviet military memorials, Capt 2 rank (retired) Alexander G. Tutyshkin, son of Baltic Fleet 13-th Submarine Division Commander who headed the task force during the sub’s last cruise told Central Navy Portal.
The wrecked submarine will obtain the status of military memorial in accordance with the Russian-Finnish intergovernmental agreement tied in 1992. The document deals with joint memorializing of Soviet and Finnish servicemen fallen in both countries during the World War II.
Prior to inclusion of S-2 into the military memorial list, Finland wants to dispose munitions on board the submarine (torpedoes and artillery shells). Finnish Defence Forces plan to finish disarming works early in summer 2012.
Having written an article about the history of S-2 , Alexander G. Tutyshkin in Sept 2011 addressed a letter to Russian president Dmitry Medvedev with request to return wrecks of the sub and bodies of died submariners to Russia.
Russian foreign ministry asked the Finnish party to attach the status of military memorial to S-2 submarine found in 2009 and received an affirmative answer in Oct 2011.
By reason of the Finland’s fidelity to the international agreement, Russian foreign ministry will not raise the question as to returning of the submarine’s remains to Russia.
Defense ministry in its reply to Tutyshkin did not express readiness to lift and return the remains to Russia either.
Tutyshkin expressed concerns over the plans to dispose the submarine’s armament, since that could inflict damage to bodies of submariners. He will insist on lifting died Baltic Fleet sailors and returning them to the homeland.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff , March 14, 2012; Image: navy