Britanov was ordered to have his ship towed to Gadzhievo, her homeport, which was 7,000 kilometers (about 4,300 miles) away. The attempts to tow the ship were unsuccessful, and poison gas began to leak in the aft compartments. Against orders, Britanov ordered the crew evacuated to the towing ship, while he remained onboard "K-219". Seeing that Britanov - in their judgement - was not acting efficiently enough, the Soviet Navy's high command ordered the security officer, Valery Pshenichnyy, to assume command and resume the patrol. Before that order could be carried out, "K-219" sank to the bottom of the Hatteras Abyss. The cause is unknown, but a version presumes that Britanov may have scuttled the ship.