Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday admitted he felt "responsible" for the Kursk tragedy, but defended the nation's military, lashing out at his critics, in particular the so-called "oligarchs".
In his first public remarks since the 118 crew members of the sunken submarine were pronounced dead, he said anyone found to be to blame in the disaster would be punished. But he would not rush to judgment and had refused offers of resignation by the defence minister and senior navy commanders.
His remarks, in an interview with RTR state television, came at the end of a day of mourning, when across Russia flags were lowered and church services held to mourn the sailors.
However, the main ceremony, in which Mr Putin was expected to throw a wreath into the waters of the Barents Sea above the wreck, was cancelled and Mr Putin returned unexpectedly to Moscow. Hundreds of relatives at the Northern Fleet's base in Vidyayevo told him they could not begin to mourn until they had seen their loved ones' bodies with their own eyes.
Correspondents said Vidyayevo was the only place in Russia where flags were not flying at half mast and candles not being lit in memory of the crew.
"I have a great feeling of responsibility and guilt for this tragedy," the president said in his televised address, seated in a black suit in front of a Russian flag, leaving long pauses between his words.
Mr Putin described his six-hour meeting on Tuesday evening with relatives of the dead in emotional terms. "First of all about the meeting, what can I say here? Words are not enough, they are difficult to find. I want to wail," he said.
But he said there would be no wave of sackings. He had turned down resignations offered by the Defence Minister, Mr Igor Sergeyev, the navy chief, Admiral Vladimir Kuroyedov and Northern Fleet commander, Admiral Vyacheslav Popov, he stated.
"Yesterday and today, rather experienced people, politicians, have said that I must show strong character and sack somebody ... and best of all, put someone in jail - but this is the most simple way out of this situation and in my opinion would be a mistake."
Mr Putin hit back strongly at the press, which has been highly critical of his handling of the affair. He said his liberal critics were themselves responsible for the armed forces' decrepit state, describing them as "those people who in their time prompted the breakdown of the army, navy and the state".
"They should have sold their villas in France and Spain," he said in a clear reference to Russia's "oligarchs" - a group of influential businessmen, many of whom are owners of the media with which Mr Putin has waged war.
"I am with the army, the fleet and the people. Together we will restore the army, the fleet and the state," he said.
A collapse in Mr Putin's popularity, predicted by Russian and foreign media, failed to materialise, according to a poll by the respected All-Russian Centre for Public Opinion Research (VTsIOM) and conducted between Saturday and Monday. Sixty-five per cent of those questioned approved of Mr Putin's performance. The figure was lower than the 73 per cent approval rating he enjoyed a month before, but higher than the 63 per cent rating he held in late June.
Today some relatives are due to sail to the spot where the submarine sank and spend a few moments in private reflection. Yesterday the government announced that the families of the dead would receive an average compensation of $7,000 - equivalent to some 10 years' wages.