ST.PETERSBURG, July 27. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin met with family members of the submariners, who were killed in a blaze that broke out on a Russian research submersible in the Barents Sea. Family members of 13 officers attended the meeting.

"Of course, first of all, let me express my condolences once again in connection with the loss of your loved ones. I will not to recall it (the tragedy) so as not to reopen your wounds. Everything is clear, much has been said," Putin said.

At the meeting, Putin suggested discussing the issues of assistance to the families of the submariners.

"I would like to talk about what the Defense Ministry has been doing recently to help you. I know, I have looked through all these certificates, papers, I know that a lot has been done, but still I want to hear it from you - what can still be done, in your opinion, is there anything we need to pay more attention to? Can we do something else for you, for children - for their future? Let's talk about it calmly, in a family style," Putin said to the family members of officers.

The Russian Defense Ministry earlier reported that on July 1 a fire erupted onboard a deep-sea vessel in Russia’s territorial waters, which was designed to explore the near-bottom space and bottom of the World Ocean in the interests of the Russian Navy. Fourteen sailors lost their lives in the tragedy. In the end, the blaze was extinguished thanks to the crew’s self-sacrificing actions.

On July 5, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to bestow posthumous awards on the submariners who were killed in a blaze that broke out on a Russian research submersible.

The president awarded the title of the Hero of Russia posthumously "for bravery and heroism while fulfilling their military duty" to Captains 1st rank Andrei Voskresensky, Denis Oparin, Konstantin Somov and Captain 2nd rank Dmitry Solovyev. In addition, Captains 1st rank Vladimir Abankin, Sergei Danilchenko, Denis Dolonsky, Konstantin Ivanov and Nikolai Filin, Captain 2nd rank Alexander Avdonin, Captains 3rd rank Viktor Kuzmin and Vladimir Sukhinichev, as well as Lieutenant Colonel of the medical service Alexander Vasilyev and Captain Lieutenant Mikhail Dubkov were posthumously awarded the Order of Courage.