250 Roubles Nuclear-powered submarine Kursk

The Kursk sank in the Barents Sea on August 12, 2000, after a faulty torpedo warhead detonated during a naval exercise, triggering a second explosion that destroyed the forward compartment and killed all 118 crew. The Russian government's delayed response — initially refusing Norwegian and British offers of rescue assistance for five critical days — remains one of the most politically damaging episodes of early Putin era.

The "Arctic Territories" issuer is a private licensing entity, not a recognized sovereign authority, producing these collector pieces under nominal territorial branding specifically for the commemorative market.