The endeavour's success was in stark contrast with the Kursk submarine disaster five years previously, in which all crewmembers perished amid what many perceived as the Russian government's reluctance to seek outside help.
Uspjeh ovog pothvata u izrazitom je kontrastu s tragedijom podmornice Kursk od prije pet godina, kojom prilikom su poginuli svi članovi posade, što su mnogi pripisivali nevoljkosti ruske vlade da zatraži pomoć izvana.