The nuclear submarine of Russia, in which 20 people died after a toxic gas accident, will be leased to India – said the Deputy Defence   Minister Vladimir Popovkin on Wednesday. Vladimir Popovkin said that Nerpa, the Akula class nuclear attack submarine will be handed over to India by the end of this year.

The Nerpa submarine, which will complete all its sea-trials by June 20, will be handed over to India, under the deal between Moscow and New Delhi for supplying two nuclear submarines on lease.
     
According to reports, India will pay USD 2 billion to Russia for leasing two submarines with an option of buying them when the lease tenure is over. The information about the lease tenure is presently unavailable, but it is expected to be as long as 10 years.

If everything goes well, the Nerpa submarine could be inducted to the Indian Navy, and the nuclear submarine will reintroduce the nuclear vessel handling technology to the Indian Naval force.

In November 2008, the Nerpa submarine, while undergoing trials in the Sea of Japan, met with an accident, in which its fire fighting system went off, filling the vessel with toxic gas, which killed 20 sailors.