One of Moscow’s submarines was forced to surface due to technical problems that the Russians deny, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte took the opportunity to joke about the state of the Russian fleet, writes the BBC.
Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet has determined that the diesel submarine “Novorossiysk” surfaced off the coast of France to act in accordance with the rules of navigation in the English Channel, through which it was escorted by a British warship and a helicopter. Dutch authorities reported on the 11th of October that the submarine was being towed in the North Sea.
Rutte said in a speech in Slovenia that it appeared that the submarine was now looking for the nearest mechanic, and indicated that the broken vessel was currently limping towards home. He added that there is now almost no Russian naval presence in the Mediterranean.
The Telegram channel VChK-OGPU, which publishes information allegedly from Russian security services, reported on the 27th of September that the Novorossiysk had suffered a fuel leak while the submarine was in the Strait of Gibraltar, posing a risk of explosion. The British Royal Navy observed the submarine from the 7th to the 9th of October as it returned from a deployment in the Mediterranean. The submarine was escorted and observed as it passed through the English Channel to the North Sea. On the 11th of October,
the Netherlands reported that the Novorossiysk and its towing vessel were subsequently escorted by the Dutch fleet.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet reported on the 13th of October that the submarine had made a planned transfer between fleets. The Interfax news agency quoted a navy statement as saying that reports of the submarine’s technical problems and subsequent emergency ascent were untrue. The submarine was only on the surface because international regulations require it to rise when passing through the Channel.
A few weeks ago, the Royal Navy tracked a Russian frigate and a cargo ship as they passed through the English Channel.
A BBC Verify investigation has revealed that a Russian warship, which falsified its identification signal, passed through the Channel in June, escorting two tankers from the shadow fleet.