Lieutentant Kolesnikov reveals some crew survived the initial blast

The note says all of the crew who were in the sixth, seventh and eighth compartments of the submarine moved into the ninth compartment, at the stern of the vessel.

There were 23 men. After a part of the note which is illegible, it ends with the words, "I'm writing this blindly".

The note does seem to confirm that most of the 118 crew died instantly.

But it will once again raise questions as to why nothing was done immediately to try to establish contact with those who made it into the ninth compartment.

No contact

After issuing initial reports that it was in contact with the crew, the navy admitted that, in fact, no contact was made.

Most of the Kursk's crew perished instantly

Lieutenant Kolesnikov's note makes it clear that those who survived the accident were left without power, as he was writing it in the dark.

What may never be known is for how long the 23 survived in the ninth compartment, or how they eventually died.

On the basis of the note, the recovery mission's co-ordinator Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov has ordered the divers to abandon the eighth compartment and concentrate their efforts on the ninth.

Disaster theories

That appears to be an acceptance of the idea that all those who were forward of the sixth compartment would have been caught up in the two explosions which ripped through the submarine, and their bodies would have been vaporised as a result.

Admiral Kuroyedov still believes a collision sank the sub

What the note does not appear to confirm is the cause of the accident itself.

Admiral Kuroyedov and the naval command have continued to expound the theory that the Kursk was in collision with another vessel, probably a foreign submarine.

It is known that US and British submarines were in the Barents Sea, observing the Russian naval exercise that the Kursk was taking part in.

Requests by the Russian Ministry of Defence to inspect these submarines were refused by Washington and London, something which the Russians have tried to portray as evidence of guilt.

Collision 'inconcievable'

But the collision theory seems weak when other factors are considered.

Investigators are examining recovered pieces of the Kursk's hull

Unlike Western submarines, the Kursk and others of its class have a double hull - the inner hull alone is made of steel which is 40 centimetres (16 inches) thick.

It seems inconceivable that any single-hulled vessel could collide with such a submarine and sail away, while the larger, stronger one sank to the bottom.

Admiral Kuroyedov tried to strengthen his argument, when film shot this week by remote cameras of the outer hull of the Kursk showed dents.

But these could well have been made when the submarine hit the sea bed, after falling through the water like a stone for nearly 100 metres.