He also faced a major tragedy that he handled disastrously, and which undermined his image as a strong and competent leader: the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine. The United Kingdom and Norway offered help on the same day, but Russia did not respond. Rescue efforts did not begin until eight days later, when all of the crew were long dead. However, a large part of the Russian population has believed them, just as they believed Putin’s claim that the Kursk was attacked by American missiles. The full truth about the Kursk was not revealed until much later.