PROVIDENCE – The Russian submarine moored in the Providence River is in danger.

The Coast Guard is on the scene and museum officials are “just right now coming up with a battle plan,” engineer Damon Ise said.

The stern is underwater at high tide, the bow is sticking up at a 30 degree angle and the ship is listing.

The submarine's bow became grounded during yesterday’s nor’easter, and as the tide comes in, the rising water is pulling the stern of the vessel underwater, according to engineer Ise, who works for the Russian Sub Museum.

Oil is also leaking into the river. But Ise said there’s no more than 35 gallons of oil on board.

The president of the Russian Sub Museum, Frank Lennon, said the situation won't get any worse.

"We're confident that we'll be able to fix this, and it will come back," Lennon said. "We have an expert coming in from New York. He'll be in around noontime and will give us the advice we need to fix this."

The first task today will be to contain the oil. “And then they’ll really have to engineer how the salvage operation will take place,” Ise said.

The vessel is “designed to sink,” Ise said. However, it has been retrofitted as a museum, is no longer operational as a sub and is not water-tight.

The other problem is that the front of the boat is grounded and the other part is under water, he said.

“Had the submarine been able to float freely in the storm, this would have never happened,” Ise said. “But this submarine doesn’t go under water. It’s purely a display. It’s not a ship anymore.”