Nato chief mocks Russia over ‘broken’ submarine in English Channel

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1. ***The Telegraph reports:***

   Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary general, has mocked Russia over the condition of one of its submarines after it was spotted surfacing in the English Channel apparently suffering technical issues.

   Russia’s Black Sea Fleet said the diesel-powered submarine Novorossiysk had surfaced off France to comply with navigation rules in the [English Channel](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/07/02/second-russian-vessel-in-a-week-tracked-english-channel/), and rejected reports it had suffered a serious malfunction.

   But Dutch authorities said at the weekend that the submarine was under tow in the North Sea. And Mr Rutte, during a speech in Slovenia, said the vessel was “broken”.

   “Now, in effect, there is hardly any Russian naval presence in the Mediterranean left. There’s a lone and broken Russian submarine limping home from patrol,” he said.

   “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.”

   VChK-OGPU, a shadowy Telegram channel that publishes purported Russian security leaks, reported on Sept 27 that fuel was leaking into the hold of the Novorossiysk, raising the risk of an explosion.

   Nato’s Maritime Command published photographs on Oct 9 of what it said was a French navy frigate observing a Russian submarine operating on the surface off the coast of Brittany.

   “Nato stands ready to defend our Alliance with constant vigilance and maritime awareness across the Atlantic,” it posted on X, without naming the submarine.

   On Saturday, the Dutch defence ministry said its navy had escorted the Novorossiysk and an accompanying towing vessel, the Yakov Grebelsky, in the North Sea.

   The Russian Black Sea Fleet said on Monday that the submarine was conducting a “scheduled inter-fleet transit” after completing tasks in the Mediterranean.

   State news agency TASS said the vessel, which entered service in 2014, was part of a group of submarines that carry Kalibr cruise missiles.

   An increasing number of Russian military vessels [are sailing through the Channel](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/01/22/russia-spy-ship-uk-economic-zone-john-healey-nato/) as Moscow looks to demonstrate its military presence. This latest incident is thought to be at least the seventh time Novorossiysk had passed through British waters in the last five months.

   **Read more:** [**https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/14/nato-chief-mocks-russia-broken-submarine-in-english-channel/**](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/10/14/nato-chief-mocks-russia-broken-submarine-in-english-channel/)

2. Very kind of the Russians to continue to entertain us after the sad demise of the Admiral Kusnetsov, after all whats funnier than towing a clapped out aircraft carrier?

   Towing the stealthiest submarine on the surface of course!

   Edit: corrected that its a less advanced vehicle than i first though.

3. Their ships tend to stay under the surface

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