The vessel got too close to her calf.
Russian sailors were forced to flee their sinking boat on mission in the Arctic, after it was attacked by a walrus.
It is understood the Russian Navy were sailing with the Russian Geographical Society off the coast of remote Franz Josef Land when they came too close to her calf.
In a statement released yesterday, the Geographical Society said: ''The boat sank, but a tragedy was avoided thanks to the prompt action taken by the squad leader. ‘All landing participants safely reached the shore.''
Russia’s navy, The Northern Fleet, said the group of researchers had to flee the female walrus after it attacked an expedition boat while protecting her cub.
It said: ''Serious troubles were avoided thanks to the clear and well-coordinated actions of the Northern Fleet servicemen, who were able to take the boat away from the animals without harming them.''
The expedition was aimed at retracing the steps of Austro-Hungarian explorer Julius von Payer, who discovered the archipelago in 1873, naming it after the Emperor Franz Joseph I.
Walrus' can become extremely aggressive and an average female weighs over 2,000lbs, so their ability to cause major damage to a boat can't be underestimated.
