NATO Secretary-General, Mark Rutte, poked fun at Russia’s naval capabilities on Monday after Moscow dismissed reports that one of its submarines was forced to surface due to technical issues.
According to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the diesel-powered submarine Novorossiysk surfaced off the coast of France merely to comply with maritime navigation regulations while transiting the English Channel.
During the passage, it was reportedly shadowed by a British warship and helicopter.
Dutch officials, however, said on Saturday that the vessel had been seen under tow in the North Sea.
In a light-hearted jab, Rutte remarked during a speech in Slovenia, “What a change from the 1984 Tom Clancy novel The Hunt for Red October. Today, it seems more like the hunt for the nearest mechanic.” He went on to describe the submarine as a “broken” vessel “limping” home, adding that there was “hardly any Russian naval presence in the Mediterranean left.”
Earlier, the Telegram channel VChK-OGPU, known for publishing alleged Russian security leaks, claimed on September 27 that the Novorossiysk had suffered a fuel leak in the Strait of Gibraltar, posing an explosion risk.
The Royal Navy confirmed it had monitored the submarine for three days, from October 7 to 9, as part of NATO’s joint surveillance operations.
HMS Iron Duke tracked the surfaced Kilo-class submarine and its support tug through the Channel and into the North Sea.
By Saturday, the Dutch Defence Ministry announced that its navy had taken over, escorting the Novorossiysk and the towing vessel.
Responding to the reports, the Russian Black Sea Fleet maintained that the submarine was merely carrying out a “scheduled inter-fleet transit.”
“Information disseminated by a number of media outlets about an alleged malfunction and, as a result, the emergency surfacing of the diesel-electric submarine Novorossiysk off the coast of France does not correspond to reality,” the Fleet’s press service said via Interfax. “In accordance with international navigation regulations, submarines are to navigate the English Channel only while on the surface,” it added.
The episode comes just two weeks after the Royal Navy shadowed a Russian frigate and cargo vessel through the same waters.
UK Armed Forces Minister Al Carns said the latest tracking mission was “a clear sign of how the UK stands strong with our NATO allies to push back against Russian aggression.”
Back in June, a BBC Verify investigation revealed that a Russian warship had attempted to conceal its identity while transiting the English Channel alongside two sanctioned oil tankers.
The vessels were reportedly part of Russia’s “shadow fleet”, a network of ships used to transport sanctioned oil under obscured ownership.
