Kraken

The Ataman Yermak suffered a catastrophic mechanical failure while traveling beneath the Arctic sea ice. Commander Alexander Voronin reported strange activity before the incident, but the submarine ultimately sustained critical damage that forced the crew to jettison the emergency locator beacon. The vessel then slipped beneath the waves and vanished.

Earlier reports of strange activity under the ice hint at the Kraken's presence, which may have been responsible for or contributed to the submarine's failure.

The Kraken was awakened and agitated by the geological survey conducted by Julia and Oskar near the North Pole. Their use of explosive charges to study ocean behavior beneath the sea ice disturbed the monster from its slumber in the seabed. The creature then pursued any vessel that entered its territory, including the Zapolyarye and later the Norwegian oil rig.

Julia mentions after the rescue that their colleagues may have disturbed the Kraken, linking the early expedition events to the creature's attacks.

Viktor chose to hide the Zapolyarye among the sea ice to avoid confrontation with the unknown creature. Counter Admiral Olshansky ordered an aggressive torpedo strike, but Viktor deemed it safer to slip into the ice cover rather than engage a threat of unknown capabilities. This decision saved the crew from harm, though it earned Olshansky's disapproval.

Olshansky relieved Viktor of command after the incident with the Norwegian oil rig, which he labeled as Viktor's third mistake. Olshansky viewed Viktor's cautious approach as ineffective against the Kraken threat, arguing that aggressive action was needed. Viktor later regained control by ordering a crash dive and powering down systems to conserve energy.

The Ataman Yermak was equipped with a top-secret experimental weapon designed as a last resort. When activated, it fired a powerful energy beam directly into the air. This weapon was capable of destroying the Kraken, the colossal monster that had been pursuing the submarines. However, the weapon self-destructed immediately after being fired, destroying the bow of the Yermak in the process.

The mission briefing mentioned securing the weapon to prevent it from falling into enemy hands, establishing its importance and destructive capability.

When Zapolyarye located the wreck of the Ataman Yermak, they found several survivors trapped inside the intact bow section. This included Alexander Voronin, Viktor's younger brother. Viktor and a small crew board the damaged submarine to disable the secret weapon while the more severely injured sailors are evacuated via the DSRV. The survivors are ultimately rescued during the confrontation with the Kraken.

The Kraken attacked the Norwegian oil rig because the rig entered the creature's territory. The monster demonstrated both aggression and intelligence by dragging the entire rig beneath the waves. This attack occurred as Zapolyarye was passing nearby, showing that the Kraken would destroy any significant structure in its domain.

The experimental weapon was designed with a self-destruct mechanism that activated immediately after firing. When Viktor and Alexander decided to use the weapon against the Kraken, they fired the energy beam which successfully destroyed the monster. However, the weapon then detonated itself, causing the bow of the Ataman Yermak to plunge into the abyss and forcing the DSRV to flee the area.

The dive watch originally belonged to Viktor and Alexander's father, a legacy of naval duty. At the start of the mission, Viktor was given the watch as a reminder of family tradition and responsibility. At the end, after successfully completing the mission, Viktor offered the watch to his brother Alexander, who acknowledged that Viktor had earned it. This gesture symbolized Viktor's proven leadership and the reconciliation of the brothers.

The massive pod of whales swimming erratically near Zapolyarye was reacting to the Kraken's presence. The whales possessed an instinctive awareness of the monster's location and were attempting to flee or avoid the creature. Their unusual behavior served as an early warning sign that something dangerous lurked beneath the submarine.

The Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) commanded by Koshkin was deployed from Zapolyarye to reach the Ataman Yermak wreck. The DSRV was used to evacuate the most severely injured crew members first, while Viktor and a smaller group stayed aboard the Yermak to handle the weapon. A locator beacon was placed on the hull to track the wreck, though it was temporarily toggled off per Viktor's orders before being reactivated.