One of the great things about this rescue operation is that even though the Russian Navy is still considered the adversary that assistance was quickly offered and this time accepted with a happy outcome.

I have met submariners from other navies and when I left the RN I made some trips to Russia for business where I was able to meet some Russian ex-submariners. One evening over a lot of vodka we spoke very openly about our experiences and even in the acholholic haze that the evening ended up in I clearly remember that there was a mutual respect and shared experiences of life in boats. Apart from being on different sides we thought the same. Not often that happens.