A Habit The Russians Shouldn't Pick Up From Us

Several people in Russia are apparently expecting the Russian Navy to make a scapegoat of the young commander of the AS-28 as a way of deflecting attention from the failings of the higher-ups:

"Still embarrassed by the men's rescue by the Royal Navy, it is predicted that Russia's admirals will hold Lt Capt Vyacheslav Milashevsky, 25, responsible.
"You'll see, they will hold my husband to blame, say it's because he is young and inexperienced," said Yelena Milashevskaya.
"But Slava is a virtuoso at the controls of that craft. He knows the Priz like the back of his hand and couldn't have made a mistake."
"Others also fear for Capt Milashevsky, who, despite his youth, is regarded as an experienced seaman and was commanding his seventh voyage on the sub when disaster struck.
"They will now make him a scapegoat," predicted Alexander Pokrovsky, a veteran Russian sailor and the author of accounts of life in the submarine forces. "To this day the same principle holds fast among fleet commanders: make the subordinate the fall guy."

Many in the submarine community, including me, believe that the U.S. Navy made the CO of USS San Francisco the fall guy for systemic problems in the submarine route generating process after their grounding. The Russian Navy leadership will probably feel the need to act quickly, since the admirals are also under scrutiny:

"Newspapers citing defense ministry sources reported that the head of the navy, Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov, would be sacked.
"Kuroyedov, 60, was chief of the navy when the Kursk sank and when a decommissioned nuclear submarine sank in the Barents in August 2003. He caused waves last year when he said publicly that a nuclear-powered cruiser could blow up."

In a clear case of nailing shut the barn door long after the cows have left the state, the Russians now plan on buying some of those Scorpio craft. Dudes, if you don't maintain these any better than you did your other ROVs, they won't work any better.

But, there is some good news coming out from Russia today: Those fake Russian teenage lesbians will be releasing their second album this fall!

Staying at PD...