SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine, Aug. 18 (UPI) — As part of his three-day visit to Crimea this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin climbed into a three-seat submersible craft to check out an ancient sunken ship discovered in the Black Sea a few months ago.
Putin boarded the C-Explorer 3 bathyscaphe and descended 83 meters — 272ft — to witness firsthand the remains of the Byzantine trading ship, which he said dated back to the 9th or 10th century, Belfast Telegraph reported.
The Russian president also went scuba diving in the Kerch Strait that connects the Black Sea of Azov. He brought up fragments of ancient Greek jugs – or amphorae – but Dmitry Peskov, his spokesman, later admitted that they had been planted.
Russian officials said that the remains of the ship were discovered by members of dive club in Rostov-on-Don in May, BBC reported. The Byzantine ship, up to 125 meters long, sank for unknown reasons, leading to naval crews, scientists with the Russian Geographical Society and archeologists to begin a years-long expedition.
Putin told reporters afterward that his scuba diving and overall oceanographic excursion should help attract publicity and donors to bring attention to the important work being done by the Russian Geographical Society to study “how our state was built, including in this region.”
Putin also presented his tourism and development proposals for Crimea on Monday.
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